You Found Me
by KaelynAnne
Summary: After a tragedy destroys the life she'd been living, Haley joins Sam and Dean on a journey to find what she's lost. Along the way, they encounter love, evil, and more tragedy. They also make another important discovery: the truth about themselves.
1. Search for Something More

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: I've spent the last couple of weeks re-reading this story and while I am happy with most of it, there a couple of chapters, like this one and chapter ten that I'm completely unhappy with so I've decided to rewrite them. As well, there will be some plot points that will change, namely the Haley/Sam pseudo-relationship. I've finally decided the direction I want this story to go and as a result there will be some things that are drastically different from what happened in season one.

You Found Me: Chapter One

When Dean pulled into their parking space at the motel and saw Haley waiting outside their room, he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. After everything that had happened on this hunt he was more than happy to see her and after turning the car off and ignoring Sam's question as to whether he was okay when a groan escaped him as he leaned forward to pull the keys from the ignition, he opened the door and eased himself out of the Impala, willing himself to ignore the pain the action caused his abused ribs.

"Dean?"

His initial reaction was to lash out verbally and limp into the motel room so that he could lick his wounds, both physical and emotional, in private. Then he heard his name again and felt a warm, smooth hand on his arm. Haley. She was here. She'd left school so she could grieve for Jess and had chosen to join he and Sam. With everything that had happened on this hunt, he'd almost forgotten, but she was here now and it was enough to distract him for the moment. "How long have you been here?" He didn't like the thought of her by herself unprotected for any amount of time, especially when they were on a hunt.

"A couple of hours, but I've only been at the motel for about ten minutes. Dean, what happened?" she asked as they slowly made their way inside, Sam behind them with their bags. When Dean didn't reply, Haley couldn't help the frustrated sigh that escaped her. She should have expected his trademark stoic silence, but she'd been hoping that he would at least tell her how he'd gotten hurt.

"Shotgun loaded with rock salt," Sam replied, his voice rough with more than one emotion as put the bags down on the far bed.

Haley turned to look at him, noting the guilt and regret etched on his face. "And judging by the look on your face and the tone of your voice, I'm guessing you're the one that pulled the trigger."

"It was this weird possession thing. All the victims were amped up on supernatural anger and compelled to tell the truth."

She nodded as the pieces fell into place and turned back to Dean, seeing the hurt in his eyes that was barely masked by the physical pain of his injuries. It was obvious that both brothers had been shaken by the events of their latest hunt, but right now her focus was on Dean because he always played his emotions close to the vest and she didn't want this to shut him down completely. "Come on, let's go patch you up."

"I can do it myself," he growled, snatching the small bag that contained the first aid kit off the bed.

Haley rolled her eyes at his stubbornness and took the bag from him. "Humor me and let me see for myself that you're okay."

"Fine," he snapped, moving angrily toward the bathroom.

She gave Sam's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then followed Dean, shutting and locking the door behind her. "Dean, what–"

"Don't."

"Hey, I am not going to let you do this. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere no matter how hard you push. Now stop being a stubborn bastard and take your shirt off."

"Yes, ma'am," Dean murmured, unbuttoning his over shirt and carefully sliding it down his arms before letting it fall carelessly to the floor.

Haley watched him in the mirror as she opened the first aid kit and made sure she had the supplies she would need. "How close was Sam standing?"

Instead of replying, Dean slowly pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor as well.

She breathed in sharply as she turned to face him. His skin was an angry red and she could already see ugly bruises forming. "God, Dean. Maybe you should go to the hospital."

"No. Just do what you can." He lowered himself onto the side of the bathtub and looked down, focusing on the floor design.

She sighed and picked up the first aid kit, moving over to him and kneeling on the floor in front of him. "Don't shut me out, Dean. I'm not asking you to share everything because I know better than that, but don't lie to me."

Dean leaned forward, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm not fine." He breathed in her signature scent of strawberries and champagne and felt himself relax. "It hurts."

Haley knew he wasn't just talking about the rock salt although she could imagine that it hurt like hell. She wanted to say something, try to comfort him any way she could, but she knew any wrong move, any wrong word would have Dean shutting down so fast they'd both get whiplash. So she settled for the safe route and just held him. He would talk when and if he was ready and until then she would be there for him any way he would let her.

He pulled back to look at her, unshed tears glistening in his hazel eyes. Dean rarely cried and he let other people see him cry even less, but it was Haley and she'd always broken all the rules that the Winchester's lived by. "I never wanted this life for Sam. I know he thinks different. That I dragged him back and that it's my fault Jess is dead."

"Dean, he doesn't–"

"You weren't here, Haley. You didn't hear him. You didn't see the look in his eyes. He resents me for dragging him back into this life."

"Sam doesn't resent you. He just needs to time to adjust to this life again. He hasn't been on a hunt in four years and now he's grieving for Jess. It's going to take time, Dean. For all of us."

"I know. It's just, for eighteen years I took care of Sammy. I raised him and I knew him better than anyone. Now I don't know who he is. He's this whole different person and I don't know how to handle him."

"You'll learn. You both will. Right now we need to clean you up. Do you want anything for the pain?"

"No."

Haley rolled her eyes at his persistent stubbornness. Still, she reached into the kit and took out a bottle of Naproxen. "At least take a couple of these to help with the swelling." When Dean opened his mouth to argue, Haley reached and pressed her first into his chest, grimacing when he hissed sharply. She hated causing him more pain, but it helped her argument. "Please?"

Dean wanted to refuse. He hated taking anything that might dull his senses and even though the Naproxen wasn't a painkiller, he didn't want to chance it. But the look in Haley's eyes told him that he wasn't getting out of that bathroom without taking something even if she had to force it down his throat. Deciding that it would be better for his pride in the long run if he took the graceful way out, Dean took the orange prescription bottle from her, twisted the top off and shook out two pills then replaced the top and tossed the bottle back into the first-aid kit.

He tossed the pills into his mouth, dry swallowing them as he watched Haley silently assess his wounds, her brown eyes moving over his toned chest. "See something you like?"

"That didn't take long, did it?"

When Dean spoke again, he purposely lowered his voice an octave. "What can I say, sweetheart? I bounce back first."

Haley forced herself to ignore the way her body reacted to his rough voice and the heated look in his eyes and focus on the task at hand. "I've noticed," she replied as she picked up the hydrogen peroxide.

* * *

"How is he?" Sam asked when Haley joined him outside.

"He's okay. He'll be sore for a while, but he'll live."

"No thanks to me."

Goody. Round two of the Winchester guilt trip. She hated when they did this. It was a trait all three of the Winchester men shared and it was impossible to talk them out of their guilt-ridden moods. Most times it was better to just let them ride out the waves of guilt on their own, but this was too big and Haley could see how much it was weighing on Sam. "Look, you and Dean have some issues you need to work through, but you are not responsible for everything that happened in that asylum."

"Haley, I–"

"No, Sam. I know you. Supernatural truth serum or not you would never shoot your brother. I know that and so do you. Dean knows that, too, he just needs some time to get past what happened."

Sam sighed as he reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. "I'm glad you're here. I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"Is that why you left school?"

"No." She laid her head on his shoulder as she drew circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. "I just couldn't do it anymore. I was going to class and doing the work, but I wasn't really there. My mind was always on Jess. I kept expecting her to show up after my second class and take me to lunch so she could be sure I was eating or call before a major test to see if I was okay. I felt like I was drowning so when I saw a way out I took it."

"And you chose this?" Sam asked incredulously.

"No. I chose you and Dean. And John when we find him."

"Why would you choose this life, Haley? You know what it's like. How hard it is. That we never stay in one place long enough to learn anyone's name. And I know you. You crave stability. A solid, safe lifestyle and a family. Hunting is the polar opposite of the life you've always wanted."

Haley lifted her head from Sam's shoulder so that she could look at him. "A lot's changed in the last year, Sam." She bumped his shoulder with hers and smiled up at him. "Come on, take me to breakfast and I'll tell you why I chose to come with you and Dean."

* * *

They wound up at an all night diner and settled into one of the teal cracked vinyl booths in the back. Sam watched as Haley looked out the window at the early morning sky which was just starting to turn from a deep, velvet midnight blue to a lighter shade. It was obvious the last five months hadn't been easy for her and he felt guilty for leaving her, but he'd needed to do it then. Much as Haley did now.

Her silent reverie was broken as the waitress came over with her pen and order pad ready. "Early start?"

"Late night," Sam replied easily.

The older woman smiled kindly. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"I'll have coffee."

"And for you, young lady?"

"Orange juice," Haley replied, her eyes drifting back to the window.

Sam frowned at Haley's uncharacteristic rudeness as their waitress went back to the counter. In the almost eleven years that he'd known Haley, he'd never seen her be deliberately rude to anyone who didn't deserve it. "Haley? Is everything okay?"

"Sorry. I was just thinking about that weekend I came to visit right after you met Jess. You were so nervous. We stayed up all night talking and then we watched the sunrise and the sky looked almost exactly like this."

"I remember. I also remember that you two wound up in my bed sharing stories about bad dates while I slept on the couch."

Haley's smile reached her eyes as she plucked one of the menus from behind the condiments. "I had to make sure she passed the test."

Sam raised an eyebrow at her statement, wondering what exactly had happened in his bedroom two years ago. "And what test would that be?"

"The little sister seal of approval test."

He laughed as he picked up a menu of his own and began looking over it. "Obviously she passed. So is that all you two talked about?"

"That night. I didn't start telling her all your embarrassing moments until you'd been dating for a while."

"Oh, thank you," he replied, amusement coloring his voice. He reached across the table and tapped her menu. "Why are you looking at that? We both know what you're going to order."

"And what would that be?"

"Blueberry pancakes."

Haley couldn't hide her smile as she placed her menu back behind the condiments. "Don't make fun of my favorite food."

"I wouldn't dare. Besides, it's better than Dean's love affair with his pie."

"I can't argue with that."

The waitress appeared with their drinks then and placed two paper wrapped straws in the center of the table before extracting her pad and pen from the pocket of her apron. "Are you ready to order or do you need a few more minutes?"

"We're ready to order," Sam said as he placed his menu behind Haley's. "I'll have an egg sandwich over easy and a side of fried apples."

"And for you, young lady?"

"I'll have blueberry pancakes."

"You sure that's all you want, honey? You could stand to gain a few pounds."

"I'm sure," Haley replied.

The waitress took down Haley's order then walked away with a parting smile.

"So, you promised to explain why you decided to join Dean and me on our insane family road trip," Sam prompted.

Haley nodded as she peeled the wrapper from her straw and stuck it in her juice then took a deep sip. "After Jess died and you left, I tried to stick it out and I did for a while. I was dealing with the sympathetic stares and whispers and even the fake sympathy from the people who had no idea who we were, but had heard about what happened. And then one day I realized it wasn't getting any easier. If anything it was getting harder. My grades were slipping and I didn't care. I was letting friendships slide and it didn't bother me."

"I noticed, but every time I reached out you would pull further away. Dean was worried about you, too."

"I know and I wanted to tell him that I was okay, but I couldn't lie to him. Not when I knew just how far from okay I really was."

"When did you realize how bad things were?"

"When Brooke came to visit for spring break. She commented on un-Haley like I was acting. I withdrew the day after she left and I was thinking about where to go when Dean called and asked me to meet you in Lawrence."

Their waitress appeared then and unloaded their plates as well as a decanter of maple syrup for Haley. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No. We're good for now. Thank you," Haley said.

"Okay. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." With that, she left them alone again.

Haley picked up her knife and began spreading the butter that had already started to melt and slowly slide off to the side. She picked up the decanter and poured syrup over her pancakes then set it down.

They were quiet for a while as they ate, both of them thinking about how much their lives had changed in the last five months. As they ate, Haley tried to order her thoughts and find the best way to explain her state of mind when she'd made the decision to leave Stanford.

Finally, they both sat back and Sam watched Haley speculatively as he took a sip of his coffee. It wasn't the best he'd ever had, but after a lifetime on the road he was used to it even if his time at Stanford had taught him that good, strong coffee did exist. Right now, however, that was not at the top of his list of his concerns. No, Haley topped that list followed closely by Dean and their dad. He'd known that she was drowning, but he'd been so caught up in his own grief that he hadn't realized how lost she was until they met in Lawrence. "You already look better than the last time I saw you."

Haley nodded as she took a deep sip of her juice. "This is the first time I've had an appetite since you left."

Sam's brow furrowed in concern as his moss green eyes appraised her form. He hadn't paid attention before, but now, even though they were sitting down, he could see that Haley had lost some weight. "You stopped eating?"

"No. I ate because I knew I needed to, but I only ate for nutritional value. Being at that school was..." Haley trailed off and met Sam's eyes. "The second I made the decision to leave, I felt lighter and after I chose to be with you and Dean it was like I could breathe again."

"So what tipped the scale in our favor?"

"As much as I love Tree Hill and being a part of Lucas and Karen's family, I feel like I fit better in this world and when Dean called and I saw the way being in Lawrence again affected both of you, I knew where I wanted to be."

"I'm sure it helped that you're in love with Dean."

Haley groaned at Sam's teasing. "Yes, I am, but he obviously doesn't feel the same way so can we just drop it?"

"Haley, I think–"

"Sam, please?" Her brown eyes pleaded with him as she reached for her discarded straw wrapped and began folding it into tiny segments. "He'll never feel the same way about me that I feel about him because he'll always see me as the little girl he rescued from a ghost that wanted an eternal playmate."

"You're wrong, you know."

Haley's eyes sparkled with a myriad of emotions. "Prove it," she challenged as she took another bite of her pancakes.

Sam sighed as he took a sip of his coffee. He'd been trying to get Haley and his brother to see the truth for years but they were both too damn stubborn. He could easily prove that both of them were idiots, but he knew how to bide his time and now that Haley was with them, she and Dean would constantly be in close proximity. Sooner or later they would realize the truth. "Fine, you win. I'll let it go."

"Thank you."

* * *

With the exception of the mid-morning sunlight that was muted by the cheap motel curtains, the room that the Winchester brothers and Haley were sharing was otherwise dark and two of the three occupants were sleeping soundly in the bed closest to the door.

However, while Haley and Dean slept, Sam was still wide awake and staring up at the water-stained ceiling. His mind was in overdrive, replaying what had happened at the asylum as well as his conversations with Haley. He was pulled from his thoughts when Dean's cell phone rang from the night stand between the beds.

When Dean didn't immediately reach for his phone and flip it open, Sam forced himself to ignore the worry that made his stomach tighten with anxiety. Dean was a light sleeper, waking up at the slightest sound and if his phone didn't wake him up then–Sam shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts.

"Dean?"

Dean slept on and Haley showed no signs of waking up either, but that was less concerning since Sam knew that she hadn't slept much in the last few months and that she was coming off of a long flight.

"Dean."

His brother still slept and Sam sighed as the phone continued to ring. That meant it wasn't a text message, but whoever was calling was being insistent. He reached over to the night stand and checked the caller I.D. There was no name, but he still answered because it could be a case. "Hello?"

Hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Sam sat upright, shock evident on his face. "Dad?"


	2. Scarecrow

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Eric Kripke and Mark Schwahn.

Author's Note: Okay, so the first chapter didn't get a great response but I'm hoping that every other chapter will. Since I wasn't very clear on their ages in the first chapter, I'll explain them now. Haley is seventeen and Sam and Dean are still twenty-two and twenty-six. I know that's a big age difference, but it's easier for me to keep their ages the same as they are on both shows.

You Found Me: Chapter Two

The motel room they were in was quiet as they slept. Since John had left them another set of coordinates, they had been traveling for two straight days. Suddenly, the sound of a cell phone ringing cut through the stillness. The two people on the left side of the table in between the two beds never moved. The person on the right however woke up after two rings. "Haley, Dean."

When they still didn't wake up, Sam picked the phone up. "Hello?"

"Sam, is that you?" Sam immediately recognized the voice even though he hadn't heard it in four months.

"Dad? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"We've been looking for you everywhere. We didn't know where you were, if you were okay."

"Sammy, I'm all right. What about you and Dean?" At this point, Haley and Dean were beginning to wake up.

"We're fine. Dad, where are you?" As soon as Sam said Dad Haley and Dean sat up. John still didn't know that Haley was with them but they knew he would find out soon if they didn't get the chance to tell him tonight.

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that."

"What? Why not?"

"Is that Dad?" Dean asked.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. You're just gonna have to trust me on this."

"You're after it, aren't you? The thing that killed Mom."

"Yeah. It's a demon, Sam."

"A demon. You know for sure?"

"A demon. What's he saying?" Dean asked. Haley was just as curious and she echoed Dean's question.

"I do. Listen, Sammy, I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to protect you from that."

"You know where it is?"

"Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on it."

"Let us help."

"You can't. You can't be any part of it."

"Why not?"

"Give me the phone," Dean said, holding his hand out.

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling. You and your brother, you gotta stop looking for me. Alright, now, I need you to write down these names," John said.

"Names? What names? Dad, talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

"Look, we don't have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it's not safe."

"No. Alright? No way."

"Give me the phone," Dean repeated.

"I have given you an order. Now, you stop following me and do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names." Dean grabbed the phone from Sam and Haley placed a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.

"Dad, it's me. Where are you? Yes, sir." When John requested that Dean write down several names, he looked to Haley.

"I've got a pen and paper," she said, grabbing a notebook and a pen from the table.

"Dean, who was that?" John questioned. Dean looked at Haley and she nodded, knowing what John had asked. There was no sense in hiding the fact that she was with them.

"It was Haley, Dad. She left Tree Hill and now she's with us."

"You make sure she's safe. Do you understand that? If anything happens to her . . . " John trailed off but Dean understood. He'd understood what his father would do to them if anything happened to Haley the minute he asked her to join them.

"I know, Dad. I promise she's safe."

"Okay, I can't talk now but once I can, I want to talk to her."

"Yes, sir. What are their names?"

* * *

"So, the names that John gave us, they're all couples?" Haley asked.

"Three different couples. All went missing," Dean answered.

"And they're all from different towns? Different states?"

"That's right. You got Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a road trip, cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination and none of them were ever heard from again."

"Well it's a big country, Dean. They could've disappeared anywhere," Sam said.

"Yeah, could've. But each one's route took them to the same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another after another."

"This is the second week of April," Haley stated. Dean nodded in response.

"Yep."

"So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?"

"Yahtzee. Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different orbits Dad had to go through? The man's a master." Haley caught Sam's annoyed look in the rearview mirror and pulled over, turning off the car. "What are you doing?"

"I'm pulling over. Sam doesn't look happy and I'm not driving while you two are fighting."

"We're not going to Indiana," Sam stated. Haley turned to look at him in surprise.

"We're not?"

"No. We're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code."

"Sam," Haley warned. She tried to talk some sense into Sam. John had told them both that it wasn't safe to try to find him.

"If this demon killed Mom and Jess and Dad's closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help."

"Dad doesn't want our help," Dean said.

"I don't care." It was clear by the tone of Sam's voice that he really didn't care.

"He's given us an order," Dean said.

"I don't care. We don't always have to do what he says." Haley shook her head, now was not the time to start a fight and disobey John's orders.

"Sam, John is asking us to work jobs, to save lives. It's important."

"Alright. I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge."

"Alright, look, I know how you feel," Dean said.

"Do you?" Dean eyes widened in shock at Sam's tone. "How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?"

"Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't. So if he says stay away, we stay away."

"I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean, it's like you don't even question him."

"Yeah, it's called being a good son!" Sam angrily got out of the car. Haley and Dean watched him unload the trunk. "You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks."

"That's what you really think?" Sam asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Well then this selfish bastard is going to California." He put his backpack on and began walking away.

"Come on. You're not serious," Haley said.

"I am serious." Haley looked at Dean. They couldn't let Sam leave, it wasn't safe. He caught her look and nodded but a second later his anger took over again.

"It's the middle of the night! Hey, I'm taking off. I will leave your ass, you hear me?" Sam stopped walking and turned around.

"Sam, don't do this. It isn't safe. You heard what John said," Haley said. Sam hesitated for a few seconds then responded to what Dean had said.

"That's what I want you to do." They stared at each other for a few seconds, waiting for the other to make a move. Haley stood there silently, watching the two brothers.

"Goodbye, Sam," Dean said. He closed the trunk, he and Haley got in the car, and they drove away. Sam watched them then started walking away.

"Dean, what the hell was that?"

"I don't know. I was going to apologize and then I thought about what he had said and the next thing I know, I'm telling him that I'm going to leave him."

"That was really stupid. John told both of you how dangerous it was to go after him and you let him go anyway. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Haley. I'll call him and apologize when we got Indiana." He looked over at her and pulled her to him, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. "You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

Without thinking, Haley wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "Yes."

He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her gently. "He'll be okay. I promise I'll call him."

* * *

Once they reached Berkitsville, Dean pulled over and grabbed his cell phone. He selected Sam's cell phone number and hesitated for several minutes before closing the phone. "Dean."

He put the phone back in his jacket pocket and looked up at Haley. "I can't."

"Dean, this is stupid. It may be something little right now but if you don't fix it, it's going to get bigger."

"Haley, I will call him. I just can't right now, okay?" She hugged, knowing how he felt. She'd felt the same right after she and Lucas had fought about how he was treating Brooke. Then he'd been in the wreck and she hadn't gone to the hospital to see him.

"Okay. I don't want to see you guys torn apart because of something like this, or anything actually."

"We won't be. Just give me some time." She nodded as he turned off the car and they got out.

* * *

Haley and Dean walked toward a small café and instantly spotted a man sitting in a chair on the porch. "Let me guess. You're Scotty." Scotty looked up at the sign and nodded.

"Yep."

"Hi, my name's John Bonham and this is Kylie Minogue." Haley looked at him but didn't say anything.

"Isn't that the drummer from Led Zeppelin?" Scotty didn't comment on Haley's name because he didn't recognize it. Dean looked at Scotty in surprise.

"Wow. Good. Classic rock fan."

"What can I do for you, John?" Dean took two flyers out of his pocket.

"I was wondering if you'd seen these people by chance." Scotty looked at the flyers and shook his head.

"Nope. Who are they?"

"Friends of ours. They went missing about a year ago. They passed somewhere around here and I've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem . . . " Haley was cut off by Scotty as he handed the flyers back to Dean.

"Sorry. We don't get many strangers around here." Dean nodded.

"Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Scotty looked at him strangely and Dean laughed. "Never mind. See you around." Dean and Haley walked away, laughing about Scotty's confused look after Dean's last comment.

* * *

Sam stood on the side of the road and turned around, spotting a girl with short blonde hair sitting with her back to him. "Hey."

She didn't hear him so he walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder causing her to jump. "You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry. I just thought you might need some help."

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

"So, where are you headed?"

"No offense, but no way I'm telling you."

"Why not?"

"You could be some kind of freak. I mean, you are hitchhiking."

"Well, so are you," Sam pointed out. The girl laughed as a van honked its horn and pulled over.

"Need a ride?" the driver asked.

"Yeah."

"Just her. I ain't takin' you," the driver said. The girl grabbed her things and climbed into the van.

"You trust shady van guy and not me?"

"Definitely," she answered as they drove away.

* * *

Haley and Dean were now standing inside Jorgeson General Store, still searching for information about Holly and Vince. "You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" Dean asked. The man showed the picture to his wife who shook her head.

"Nope, don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?"

"That's right," Dean answered as a young girl came downstairs, carrying boxes.

"Did the guy have a tattoo?" she asked.

"Yes, he did," Haley answered. The girl put the boxes on the counter and looked at the picture of Vince. She turned to the older couple.

"You remember? They were just married."

"You're right. They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes," the man said.

"You remember anything else?" Haley asked.

"I told 'em how to get back to the interstate. They left town," he answered.

"Could you point me in that direction?" Dean questioned.

"Sure."

* * *

Two hours later, Haley and Dean pulled into the Burkitsville gas station and noticed the girl from the general store standing by the gas pumps. "You're back."

"Never left," Haley said.

"Still looking for your friends?" They both nodded. Dean noticed the girl's nameplate necklace.

"You mind fillin' her up there, Emily?" She grabs a pump and starts filling up Dean's tank. "So, you grew up here?"

"I came here when I was thirteen. I lost my parents. Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in."

"They're nice people," Haley said.

"Everybody's nice here," Emily said.

"So, what, it's the perfect little town?" Haley punched his arm and Dean glared at her.

"Well, you know, it's the boonies. But I love it. I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed." Dean nodded.

"Hey, you been out to the orchard. You seen that scarecrow."

"Yeah, it creeps me out." Haley and Dean both laughed.

"Whose it?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. It's just always been there." Dean nodded toward a red van parked by the garage.

"That your aunt and uncle's?"

"Customer. Had some car trouble."

"It's not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?" Haley asked. Emily nodded and Haley and Dean shared a concerned look.

* * *

"Sorry, the Sacramento bus doesn't run again until tomorrow." The clerk checked the schedule. "5:05 p.m."

"Tomorrow? There's got to be another way," Sam said.

"Well, there is. Buy a car." Sam shot the clerk an annoyed look and walked away from the ticket counter. He took out his PalmPilot and selected Dean's number.

"Hey." Sam looked at the girl he had met earlier, confused, and turned off his PalmPilot.

"Hey."

"You again."

"What happened to your ride?"

"You were right. That guy was shady. He was all hands." Sam raised his eyebrows. "I cut him loose." He looked around, disappointed. "What's the matter?"

"Just trying to get to California." She looked at him surprised.

"No way."

"Yeah."

"Me too." She stood up and walked toward Sam. "You know, the next bus isn't until tomorrow."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's the problem."

"Why. What's in Cali that's so important?"

"Just something I've been looking for. For a long time."

"Well, then I'm sure it can wait one more day, right?" Sam laughed and shook her hand when she extended it. "I'm Meg."

"Sam."

* * *

Back at Scotty's Café, Scotty was serving the couple whose car had broken down. He placed two plates of apple pie in front of them. "We're famous for our apples. So, you gotta try this pie."

"Oh, no. It- please," the girl said.

"It's on the house," Scotty said as Dean and Haley walked in.

"Oh, hey, Scotty. Can I get two coffees, black?" Dean asked. Scotty walked away to get them. "Oh, and some of that pie, too, while you're at it." He and Haley sat at a table next to the couple. "How ya doin'?" The couple waved and smiled. "Just passing through?"

"Road trip," the girl answered.

"Hm, yeah, us too." They nodded as Scotty walked over to refill their cider.

"I'm sure these people want to eat in peace."

"Just a little friendly conversation," Dean said. Scotty walked away. "Oh, and those coffees, too, man. Thanks." Dean continued talking to the couple despite the look Scotty gave him.

"We just stopped for gas. And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives," the girl said.

"Is that right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea. He was fixing it for us," the guy explained. Haley and Dean shared another concerned look.

"Nice people," Dean commented.

"Yeah," the man agreed.

"So, how long till you're up and runnin'?" Dean asked.

"Sundown," the man answered.

"Really. To fix a brake line? I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars. I could probably have you up and running in about an hour. I wouldn't charge you anything."

"You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it," the girl said.

"Sure. I know. You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night," Dean said. The couple exchanged a look.

"I'm sorry." The girl was the first to speak.

"I know it sounds strange, but, you might be in danger," Dean said.

"Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?" The man snapped.

"Yeah." Dean looked disappointed and Haley noticed that the couple now seemed worried. "You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look and you'd just buy right into it." He didn't mention that Haley could have done the same because she was with him and it probably wouldn't have been the best idea.

The bell over the door jingled and someone walked in as Scotty came out from a back room. "Thanks for coming, Sheriff," Scotty said. Dean looked nervous and Haley looked frustrated. This was not going how they had expected it to go. Scotty whispered something in the Sheriff's ear and they both looked at Dean, who looked away. The sheriff walked over to them.

"I'd like a word, please."

"Come on. I'm having a bad day already."

"You know what would make it worse?" Dean nodded slowly.

* * *

Back at the bus station Sam and Meg are sitting at a table with beers and different foods around them. "So, what, are you on some kind of vacation or something?" Meg laughed.

"Yeah, right. It's all Cristal pool side for me." They laughed. "No. I had to get away from my family."

"Why?"

"I love my parents. And they wanted what's best for me. They just didn't care if I wanted it. I was supposed to be smart. But not smart enough to scare away a husband. It's just . . . because my family said so, I was supposed to sit there and do what I was told. So I just went on my own way instead. I'm sorry. The things you say to people you hardly know."

"No, no, it's okay. I know how you feel. Remember that brother I mentioned before, that I was road-tripping with? It's, uh, it's kind of the same deal."

"And that's why you're riding with him and your friend anymore?" Sam shook his head and Meg raised her beer bottle. "Here's to us. The food might be bad, and the beds might be hard. But at least we're living our own lives and nobody else's." Sam tapped his bottle against hers and they both drank.

* * *

The couple that had spent the day in Burkitsville seemed to have run out of luck again. Their car was once again broken down and they were walking through the orchard. "I can't believe it. We just got the car fixed," the girl said.

"This way," the man said. They started walking toward a clearing. The scarecrow moved quickly behind them. The girl gasped and turned around.

"Steve?" They heard more noises.

"Who's there?" Steve questioned. They looked around and the scarecrow moved quickly behind them. It began walking toward them and they started running. They were almost at the clearing when Haley and Dean ran in front of them. They stopped.

"Get back to your car." The couple looked behind them and saw the scarecrow getting closer. Dean spoke again. "Go! Go!" The couple continued running as Dean cocked his gun and shot the scarecrow. It stumbled but kept walking. Haley and Dean began running as Haley cocked her gun and shot. The scarecrow still kept going.

Dean cocked his gun and shot one more time but the scarecrow kept moving. Haley and Dean kept running. "Go! Go!" Finally, Haley, Dean, and the couple reached the clearing. Haley and Dean cocked their guns and looked around but the scarecrow had disappeared.

"What-what the hell was that?" Steve asked.

"Don't ask," Haley replied.

* * *

"The scarecrow climbed off its cross?" Sam asked. Dean smiled at the tone in Sam's voice. It was kind of hard to believe. After the earlier attack, he and Haley had gone back to the hotel in a town about an hour and a half away and were now heading back to Burkitsville.

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya. Burkitsville, Indiana. Fun Town."

"It didn't kill the couple, did it?"

"No. I can cope without you, you know?"

"So, something must be animating it. A spirit."

"No, it's more than a spirit. It's a god. A Pagan god, anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"The annual cycle of its killings? And the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. Like some kind of fertility right. And you should see the locals. The way they treated this couple. Fattenin' 'em up like a Christmas turkey."

"The last meal. Given to sacrificial victims." Dean nodded and stroked Haley's hair as he drove. She'd only been with them for four days but already she was an integral part of their trips, researching and fighting like she'd been doing it her whole life.

She'd fallen asleep about ten minutes ago and her head was resting on his lap. It was an innocent situation but his mind wondered back to his conversation with Sam in Tree Hill. He shook his head, they were friends, nothing more.

"Yeah, I'm thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan god."

"So, a god possesses the scarecrow . . . "

"And the scarecrow takes its sacrifice. And for another year, the crops won't wilt and disease won't spread."

"Do you know which god you're dealing with?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it."

"I know. We're actually on my way to a local community college. Haley and I have an appointment with a professor. You know, since we don't have our trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research." Sam laughed.

"You know, if you're hinting you need my help, just ask."

"I'm not hinting anything. Actually, uh- I want you to know . . . I mean, don't think . . . "

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too."

"Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life."

"Are you serious?"

"You've always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I-anyway . . . I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Say you'll take care of yourself."

"I will. How's Haley?"

"She's okay. She's really worried about you. After you left, she yelled at me and told me I was stupid."

"That's a first." Dean laughed but he agreed with Haley, he had been stupid.

"Yeah, it is but she's right."

"What's she doing right now?"

"She's asleep. Hey, I have to go. Call me when you find Dad." Sam nodded and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with sadness.

"Okay. Bye, Dean."

* * *

Haley and Dean were standing in a classroom at a community college, listening to a professor speak. "It's not everyday I get a research question on Pagan ideology."

"Yeah, well, call it a hobby," Dean said.

"But you said you were interested in local lore?"

"Yeah."

"I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for its Pagan worship."

"Well, what if it was imported. You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settled by immigrants?" Haley asked. Dean looked at her impressed as did the professor.

"Well, yeah."

"Like that town near here, Burkitsville. Where are their ancestors from?" Dean asked.

"Northern Europe, I believe. Scandinavia."

"What could you tell me about those Pagan gods?"

"Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses."

"We're actually looking for one. Might live in an orchard," Dean specified. The professor turned to his bookshelf, grabbed the book he was looking for, put it down on the table, and opened it.

"Woods god? Well, let's see." He flipped through the page and on one of them, Haley noticed a picture of a scarecrow on a post surrounded by farmers in a field.

"Wait, wait, wait. What's that one?"

"Oh, that's not a woods god, per se." Haley tilted her head so that she could read the page.

"The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male and one female. Kind of looks a scarecrow." Haley pointed to the picture and looked to the professor for confirmation.

"I suppose." Haley continued reading.

"This particular Vanir that's energy sprung from the sacred tree?"

"Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic."

"So, what would happen if the sacred tree was torched? You think it'd kill the god?" Dean asked. The professor laughed.

"Son, these are just lessons we're discussing."

"Oh, of course. Yeah, you're right. Listen, thank you very much," Dean said. He and Haley shook the professor's hand.

"Glad I could help." Haley and Dean walked to the door of the classroom. When it opened, the sheriff hit both of them over the head with the end of his rifle. They fell to the ground as the sheriff and the professor exchanged a knowing look.

* * *

Stacy, Harley, Scotty, and the sheriff stood in rain looking upset. "You don't understand, Harley. All of us here-It's our responsibility to protect the town."

"I understand. Better than all of you. I'm the one that gives 'em directions. I'm the one that sends 'em down to the orchard," Harley said.

"Harley, please," the sheriff said.

"We all close our doors. Look the other way. Pretend we can't hear the screams. But this is different, this-this is murder," Harley stated.

"It's angry with us. Already the trees are beginning to die. Tonight's the seventh night of the cycle. Our last chance," Stacey said.

"If the couple has to die, the couple has to die. But why does it have to be her?" Harley questioned. No one said anything, they just stared at the ground, disappointed.

* * *

Haley and Dean were in the cellar by themselves when the door opened and Emily, crying, was brought in by her aunt and uncle. "Aunt Stacey. Uncle Harley, please." They brought her down the stairs next to Dean and Haley then went back upstairs. "Why are you doing this?"

"For the common good," Stacy answered. She shut the cellar door and Haley, Emily, and Dean were left in the dark.

* * *

At the bus station, Meg was gathering her things and Sam was trying to call Haley and Dean on their cell phones. "Hey, our bus came in." Sam hung up the phone and shook his head.

"You better catch it. I gotta go."

"Go where?"

"Burkitsville."

"Sam, wait."

"I've been trying to call my brother and our friend for the last three hours. I'm just getting their voicemail."

"Well, maybe their phones are turned off."

"No, that's not like them. Meg, I think they might be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I can't really explain right now. I'm sorry, look, I don't want you to miss your bus."

"I don't understand. You're running back to your brother and your friend? The people you ran away from? Why, because they won't pick up their phones? Sam, come with me to California."

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Why not?"

"They're my family." Sam left and Meg watched him go, close to tears.

* * *

Back in the cellar, Dean and Haley were trying to open the cellar door but they were both failing. "I don't understand. They're gonna kill us?" Emily asked.

"Sacrifice us. Which is, I don't know, classier, I guess?" She and Dean walked over to her. "You really didn't know anything about this, did you?"

"About what? The scarecrow god? I can't believe this."

"Well, you better start believing, cause we're gonna need your help."

"Okay."

"Now, we can destroy the scarecrow, but we gotta find the tree."

"What tree?" Emily asked.

"Maybe you can help us that. It would be really old. The locals would treat it with a lot of respect, you know, like it was sacred," Haley explained.

"There was this one apple tree. The immigrants brought it over with them. They call it the First Tree."

"Is it in the orchard?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know where." The cellar door opened and the four elders appeared.

"It's time," Stacy said. Haley, Dean, and Emily looked at each other, nervous.

* * *

In the orchard, the elders were tying Emily, Haley, and Dean to three adjacent trees. "How many people have you killed, Sheriff? How much blood is on your hands?"

"We don't kill them," the sheriff answered.

"No, but you do cover up after. I mean, how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you burned?" Haley asked. The sheriff walked away.

"Uncle Harley, please," Emily begged.

"I am so sorry, Em. I wish it wasn't you," Harley said.

"Try to understand. It's our responsibility and there's just no other choice. There's nobody else but you," Stacy explained.

"I'm your family. Why do you need three of us anyway? I thought you sacrificed couples."

"We do, but the female got away," the sheriff answered.

"Sweetheart, that's what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good. The town needs to be safe. The good of many outweighs the good of the one," Stacy said. The four elders walked away.

"I hope your apple pie is freakin' worth it," Dean yelled. Haley couldn't help it, despite the tense situation, she giggled. Leave it to Dean to be tied to a tree as a sacrifice and make a statement like that. Dean felt himself smile when he heard Haley's laughter, she always had that effect on him.

"So, what's the plan?" Emily asked.

"We're working on it," Dean answered.

* * *

Hours later, the three of them were still tied to trees in the orchard. "You don't have a plan, do?" Emily asked.

"I'm workin' on it. Can you see?" Dean's voice was slightly panicked. He and Haley had been talking the entire time they'd been in the orchard and they still didn't have a plan that they could actually pull off.

"What?" Emily asked.

"Is he moving yet?" Haley questioned.

"I can't see," Emily answered. A shadow moved near the trees. "Oh my God." It moved closer and Haley and Dean tried to untie their ropes. "Oh my God!" Sam came out from behind the trees.

"Dean?" Dean's voice was overjoyed when he spoke.

"Oh! Oh, I take back everything I said. I'm so happy to see you." Sam began untying he and Haley from the tree. "How'd you get here?"

"I, uh– I stole a car."

"Haha! That's my boy! And keep an eye on that scarecrow. He could come alive any minute."

"What scarecrow?" Haley and Dean got up to see that the scarecrow's post was empty. The three of them exchanged a nervous look.

Haley, Emily, Sam, and Dean were running through the orchard checking for the scarecrow to make sure he wasn't close to them. "Alright, now, this sacred tree you're talking about..." Sam started.

"It's the source of its power," Haley filled in.

"So let's find it and burn it," Sam suggested.

"Nah, in the morning. Let's just shag ass before Leather Face catches up," Dean said. The four of them reached a clearing. Waiting for them were the elders and a few other townspeople. "This way." They turned around, but all of the directions were blocked.

"Please. Let us go," Emily begged.

"It'll be over quickly. I promise," Harley said.

"Please," Emily whispered.

"Emily, you have to let him take you. You have to..." All of a sudden, the scarecrow stuck his sickle through Harley's stomach. Emily and Stacy screamed then Stacy was captured by the scarecrow. Emily ran into Sam's arms as Haley did the same with Dean while her aunt and uncle were dragged away by the scarecrow. The rest of the townspeople ran away in fright.

"Come on, let's go." Dean grabbed Haley's hand as they started running. They heard a noise and turned around but the scarecrow and its victims had disappeared. The four of them stayed there and looked around.

* * *

The next morning, Sam, Dean, Haley, and Emily walked to the sacred tree with gasoline and a lighter. The tree was marked with Vince's tattoo design. Sam went to the tree and poured gasoline on it. Dean picked up a long branch and lit it.

"Let me," Emily requested. She took the branch from Dean.

"You know, the whole town's gonna die," Haley said.

"Good," Emily said. She threw the burning branch onto the tree and the four of them watched it go up in flames.

* * *

At the bus stop, Emily was getting on the bus to Boston. She smiled at Haley and Dean who waved at her. She waved back and took a seat. Sam, Dean, and Haley watched the bus leave. "Think she's gonna be alright?" Sam asked.

"I hope so," Haley said.

"And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" Sam questioned.

"Well, what'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough." They started walking to Dean's car. "So, can I drop you off somewhere?"

"No, I think you're stuck with me," Sam answered. They stopped at the car.

"What made you change your mind?" Haley asked.

"I didn't. I still wanna find Dad and you're still a pain in the ass. But, Jess and Mom-they're both gone. Dad is God knows where. You, me, and Haley. We're all that's left. So, if we're gonna see this through, we're gonna do it together." Dean paused.

"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful," Dean said. He put his hand on Sam's shoulder before he hit it away two seconds later. They laughed.

"You should be kissing my ass. You were dead meat, dude."

"Yeah, right. We had a plan, we'd have gotten out."

"Right." The three of them smiled and got in the car.

* * *

On the highway, another shady guy was giving Meg a ride. "So, where to, pretty lady?" the driver asked.

"How about you pull over?" she asked.

"Okay." He pulled over and Meg reached into her bag and pulled out a silver bowl. "What's that?"

"I've got to make a call." She reached into the bowl to get something.

"I've got a cell phone you could use," the driver offered.

"It's not that kind of call," she said. She pulled out the knife and slit the van driver's throat. She held the bowl under his neck and let his blood pour into it. "Thanks for the ride." She began stirring the blood in the bowl with her finger. "Tire quiero patem me a di."

The blood swirled around and a silver orb appeared in the middle of the liquid. "It makes no sense. I could've stopped Sam. Hell, I could've taken all three of them. Why let them go?" She paused, listening to something that only she could hear. "Yes." She paused again. "Yes." She paused a last time. "Yes, Father."


	3. Living on a Prayer

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: If you guys don't review, I don't know what you think which means this story doesn't get updated. Please review.

You Found Me: Chapter Three

Dean parked the car at an abandoned warehouse and he, Haley, and Sam got out. They opened the trunk and Dean took out three tasers. "What do you got those amped up to?" Sam asked.

"A hundred thousand volts."

"Damn," Haley commented.

"Yeah, I want this rawhead extra freakin' crispy. Remember, you only get one shot with these things so make it count." The three of them entered the house with guns and flashlights. They headed downstairs to the basement, turning when they heard a noise. They saw an old cupboard close and moved toward it. Dean looked to Haley and she nodded.

"On three. One. Two. Three." They opened the cupboard and saw a little girl and boy covering their ears. "Is it still here?" Both children nodded. Dean turned to the little boy.

"Okay. Grab your sister's hand. Come on, we gotta get you out of here. Let's go, let's go." Sam and Haley took the children and moved toward the stairs. "Alright, go!" They started up the stairs, but a hand grabbed Haley's leg and knocked her back down. "Haley!" Dean moved to the other side of the staircase and shot the taser but didn't hit the monster. "Sam, Haley, get 'em outta here!"

"You take this!" Haley threw Dean her taser and went upstairs with kids and Sam. Dean looked around the basement for the monster.

"Come on." He pointed his flashlight in a corner of the room and saw a creature resembling a werewolf. The creature pushed him into a corner and he fell into a puddle of water. He saw the creature coming toward him and grabbed the taser. He shot it, electrocuting the monster which was also standing in the puddle.

The shock traveled through the puddle and electrocuted Dean. The creature fell to the ground and Dean's body shook and then went unconscious. Haley ran down the stairs and saw Dean in the corner. "Dean!"

She ran over to Dean and shook him. "Dean, hey. Hey!" She tried to wake Dean up but he remained unconscious.

* * *

Haley and Sam were at the admissions desk talking to the receptionist like they had been for the last ten minutes. After getting Dean to the hospital, they'd spend two hours in the E.R. Once the doctors had stabilized him, he'd moved up to the recovery unit and Haley and Sam had been handed a set of forms to fill out. "I'm so sorry to ask. There doesn't seem to be any insurance on file," the receptionist said.

"Right. Uh, okay." He took a card out of his wallet and handed it to her.

"Okay, Mr. Winchester." Haley and Sam walked over to two police officers.

"Look, we can finish this up later," the policeman offered.

"No, no, it's okay. We were just taking a shortcut through the neighborhood and the windows were rolled down, we heard screaming. We drove past the house and we stopped. Ran in," Haley explained.

"And you found the kids in the basement?" the police officer asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, thank God you did." Sam turned around and saw a doctor walking toward them. He nudged Haley and she turned to face the same direction that he was.

"Excuse us."

"Sure. Thanks for your help." Sam and Haley walked over to the doctor.

"Hey, Doc. Is he . . . "

"He's resting."

"And?" Haley prompted. Sam pulled her to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. The doctor smiled softly, thinking that Haley was the youngest sibling of the trio that had come into the hospital and that Sam was comforting her.

"The electrocution triggered a heart attack. Pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart is damaged."

"How damaged?" Sam asked, his voice raw with emotion.

"We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. I'd give him a couple of weeks, at most, maybe a month."

"No, no. There-there has to be something you can do. Some kind of treatment," Haley demanded.

"We can't work miracles. I really am sorry." Sam nodded and pulled Haley closer to him, both of them walking away with tears in their eyes.

* * *

Dean was watching t.v. in his bed when Haley and Sam walked in. He was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. Haley and Sam moved farther into the room and stood by his bed. When Dean finally spoke, his voice was weak. "Have you ever actually watched daytime t.v.? It's terrible." Sam sighed and Haley growled causing Dean to look at her in surprise. He'd never seen her that angry before.

"I talked to your doctor," Sam said.

"That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down."

"Dean." Dean looked up, meeting Sam's eyes. He tried to connect with Haley's but she refused to look at him.

"Yeah." He turned the t.v. off. "Alright, well, looks like you're gonna leave town without me."

"Like hell," Haley stated, her voice wavering.

"What are you talking about? We're not gonna leave you here," Sam said.

"Hey, you better take of that car or I swear I'll haunt your asses." Haley was close to tears when she spoke again.

"I don't think that's funny."

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny." They were all silent for a few seconds before Dean spoke up again. "Look, what can I say? It's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story." Haley made an angry noise and moved over to the window.

"Don't talk like that, alright?" We still have options," Sam said.

"What options? Yeah, burial or cremation. I know it's not easy but I'm gonna die and you can't stop it." Sam gave his brother a warning look and tilted his head toward Haley. When he spoke again, he lowered his voice so that Haley couldn't hear.

"Talk to her and be serious. She really needs you, Dean. I'll be outside." Dean nodded and waited until Sam left the room before he spoke.

"Haley." She shook her head, still refusing to look at him. "Haley Marie James." She turned to look at him, her brown eyes glittering with anger and unshed tears.

"I hate you."

"Haley." She shook her head again, her blonde hair flying into her face.

"NO! You promised me that I would be okay. You promised me, Dean. Now you're leaving and I won't be okay." Haley was close to tears but she refused to cry.

"I don't want to leave you."

"Could have fooled me. The way you're acting, it's like you don't even care."

"I'm sorry. I'm just as scared as you are."

"Dean . . . " She couldn't speak anymore. The tears she had been holding back began cascading down her cheeks.

"Oh, Haley. Come here." He held out an arm to her and she climbed onto his bed. "I'll always be here with you. I want you to know that." She nodded and laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

Dean had tried so hard to be strong but listening to Haley cry, he couldn't do it anymore. Tears streamed down his face and he laid his cheek on the top of Haley's head. He rarely cried but now he didn't think he could stop. Slowly, they both fell asleep, safe in each other's arms.

* * *

Sam sat on the bed in the motel room that he and Haley were staying in surrounded by research about heart care. As Haley slept on the other bed, exhausted by seventy-two hours of research, he tried to call his dad and got John's voicemail. "This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean. 866-907-3235." The tone sounded and Sam left his message, holding back tears as he did.

"Hey, Dad. It's Sam. Uh . . . you probably won't even get this, but, uh . . . it's Dean. He's sick and the doctors say there's nothing they can do. Um . . . but, they don't know the things we know, right? So, don't worry, cause, uh . . . I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get him better. Alright, just wanted you to know." He hung up and tossed his phone on the bed. Tears filled his eyes but he brushed them away when there was a knock at the door.

He got up and opened the door, revealing Dean who looked even worse than he had three days ago. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I checked myself out."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Well, I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot." He shrugged as Sam laughed and shut the door.

"You know, this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap? I can see right through it."

"Yeah, whatever, dude. Have you even slept? You look worse than me." Sam helped him to a chair and his gaze landed on Haley, who was still asleep. Sam followed his gaze. "How is she?"

"We've been scouring the Internet for the last three days. Calling every contact in Dad's journal and yes, I have slept. More than Haley has."

"How did you finally get her to sleep?"

"It was not easy. I had to force her to eat and then it took me two hours to convince her to take a bath. She finally fell asleep about three hours ago." Dean nodded and then remembered Sam's answer to his earlier question.

"What were you looking for?"

"A way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist."

"You're not gonna let me die in peace, are you?" Sam looked over at Haley and then back at Dean, a small smile lighting his face for the first time in three days.

"We're not gonna let you die, period. We're going." Haley shifted on the bed and made a contented, sleepy noise, drawing both boys attention to her.

"Dean?" She wasn't really awake but she'd heard voices and she thought one of them was Dean.

"I'm right here, Haley. Go back to sleep." She sighed in response and settled down again.

* * *

In Nebraska, Sam and Dean pulled up outside of a large white tent. Haley had opted to stay in the hotel and call everyone in Tree Hill since she hadn't the chance to since she left. Dean got out and saw a sign that read "The Church of Roy LeGrange. Faith Healer. Witness the Miracle." Sam went to Dean and tried to help him out of the car. "I got ya." Dean grunted in pain and pushed Sam away.

"I got it. Man, you are a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor."

"I believe I said a specialist. Look, Dean, this guy is supposed to be the real deal."

"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent." An elderly woman passing by overheard them.

"Reverend LeGrange is a great man."

"Yeah, that's nice," Dean said. They walked past an angry man who was talking to a sheriff and Dean turned to look quickly before turning back around.

"I take it he's not part of the flock."

"When people see something they can't explain, there's controversy."

"I mean, come on, Sam. A faith healer?"

"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean."

"You know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's really going on."

"How can you be a skeptic? With the things we see everyday?"

"Exactly. We see them, we know they're real."

"But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too?"

"Because I've seen what evil does to good people." A young blonde woman overheard them as she walked by.

"Maybe God works in mysterious ways." Dean was instantly attracted to her.

"Maybe he does." She smiled. "I think you just turned me around on the subject." She laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Dean extended his hand.

"I'm Dean. This is Sam." She shook his hand.

"Layla. So, if you're not a believer then why are you here?"

"Well, apparently my brother here believes enough for the both of us." Layla's mother walked over to them.

"Come on, Layla. It's about to start."

"Well, I bet you she can work in some mysterious ways," Dean said. Sam smiled as they went into the tent. Dean gestured to a security camera on the wall. "Yeah, peace, love, and trust all over." Sam also noticed the camera as Dean went to sit down in the back.

"Come on."

"What are you doing? Let's sit here."

"We're sitting up front."

"What? Why?"

"Come on."

"Oh, come on, Sam."

"You alright?"

"This is ridiculous. I'm good, dude, get off me." He pushed Sam away and Sam pointed to two empty seats behind Layla and her mother.

"Perfect."

"Yeah, perfect."

"You take the aisle." They sat down as Roy LeGrange got up on the stage to start the service.

"Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it? Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But, I say to you, God is watching. God rewards the good and He punishes the corrupt. Who does the healing here, friends? The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

"Yeah or into their wallets," Dean whispered.

"You think so, young man?" Roy questioned. The church went silent and Dean was embarrassed.

"Sorry."

"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man. We've got real sharp ears. What's your name son?" Dean hesitated.

"Dean."

"Dean. I-I want you to come up here with me." Sue Ann got up on the stage to welcome Dean.

"No, that's okay."

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"You've come here to be healed, haven't you?" Roy questioned.

"Well, yeah, but . . . No, maybe you should pick someone else."

"Oh, no. I didn't pick you, Dean. The Lord did," Rory said. Dean reluctantly went up to the stage, looking uncomfortable as he did. "You ready?"

"Look, no disrespect, but I'm not exactly a believer."

"You will be, son. You will be. Pray with me friends." The crowd lifted their arms and joined hands with each other. Roy lifted up his hands and placed one on Dean's shoulder. Dean and Sam both looked nervous. Roy moved his hand to Dean's forehead and Dean's eyes glazed over. "Alright now. Alright now." Dean started to look very weak and dizzy before his eyes closed and he fell to his knees. "Alright now." Dean collapsed on the floor and the crowd cheered and clapped.

"Dean!" Sam called. He rushed onto the stage and shook Dean. Dean eyes flew open and he gasped for breath. "Say something." Dean looked around, tired. He saw an old, seemingly dead man dressed in a black suit on the stage behind Roy. He looked at Dean then vanished.

* * *

At the hospital, Sam and Dean were in the waiting room. "So, you really feel okay?" Sam asked.

"I feel fine, Sam." A nurse came in, looking over Dean's paperwork.

"Well, according to all your tests, there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but, still it's strange it does happen."

"What do you mean strange?" Dean asked.

"Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Oh, no problem." She left and Dean looked over at Sam.

"That's odd," Dean commented.

"Maybe it's coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time, man."

"No, they don't."

"Look, Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?"

"Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why."

"What feeling?"

"When I was healed, I just-I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second, I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, Sam, it was a spirit."

"But if there was something there, Dean, I think I would've seen it, too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately."

"Well excuse me, psychic wonder. But you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. Sam, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this." Sam reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah, alright. So, what do you wanna do?"

"I want you to check out the heart attack guy. Haley and I are gonna visit the reverend."

* * *

Dean entered the motel room and went to yell for Haley but something made him stop. He stopped and smiled when he saw that she had fallen asleep on one of the beds, a notebook filled with lyrics beside her and her pen still in her hand. He sat down beside her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Haley." She shifted slightly and turned toward his touch but didn't wake up.

"Mmm, still sleepy." Dean smiled, Haley was still trying to catch up on her sleep. She'd slept the entire day after Dean had checked himself out of the hospital and almost the whole to Nebraska.

"I know but we have a new problem." Haley's eyes flew open and she sat up to look at him.

"It didn't work, did it?"

"No, it worked. I'm fine."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I saw a man standing behind the reverend and when we went to the hospital to make sure that it worked, the nurse told us that a twenty-seven-year-old with perfect health had a heart attack yesterday."

"Oh, my God."

"Yeah, that's why we're looking into it."

"Where's Sam?"

"He went to check out the heart attack patient. We're going to see the reverend." She climbed off the bed and grabbed her jacket as they left the room.

"Dean?" He turned to face her and she ran forward, hugging him.

"I'm glad you're okay." He smiled and returned the hug.

"So am I. Now, come on."

* * *

Haley and Dean were sitting in the LeGrange's living room, across from the older couple, drinking coffee as they talked. "I feel great. Just trying to, you know, make sense of what happened," Dean said.

"A miracle is what happened. Well, miracles come so often around Roy," Sue Ann said. Dean turned to the older man.

"When did they start? The miracles."

"Woke up one morning, stone blind. Doctors figured out I had cancer. Told me I had maybe a month. So, uh, we prayed for a miracle. Now, I was weak, but I told Sue Ann "You just keep right on praying." I went into a coma. Doctors said I wouldn't wake up but I did. And the cancer was gone." He took off his sunglasses. "If it wasn't for these eyes, no one would believe I'd ever had it."

"And suddenly you could heal?" Haley asked.

"I discovered it afterward, yes. God's blessed me in many ways."

"And his flock just swelled overnight. And this is just the beginning," Sue Ann said.

"Can I ask you one last question?" Dean wondered.

"Of course you can," Roy answered.

"Why? Why me? Out of all the sick people, why save me?"

"Well, like I said before, the Lord guides me. I looked into your heart and you just stood out from all the rest."

"What did you see in my heart?"

"A young man with an important purpose. A job to do and it isn't finished." Dean looked slightly surprised as did Haley.

* * *

Sam was in a locker room, talking to one of Marshall Hall's friends. He'd found out a lot and it didn't make sense. There was no reason that someone was as healthy as Marshall should have had a heart attack. "I'm telling you, he seemed healthy. Swam everyday, didn't smoke. So, a heart attack just kind of seemed, well, bizarre."

"And you said he was running right before he collapsed?"

"Yeah, yeah, he was freaking out. He said that something was, uh, was after him."

"Did he say what?"

"Well, thin air is what. I mean, it wasn't anything." Sam thought for a second before he spoke again.

"Alright, thanks." He started to leave but noticed a stopped clock on the wall. "Hey, buddy? Your, uh, your clock's busted."

"Oh, yeah, we, uh, we can't get it workin'. Just froze at 4:17."

"Is that the same time Marshall died?"

"How did you know?"

* * *

Haley and Dean were leaving Roy's house when they saw Layla and her mother waiting to go in. "Dean, hey. Who's this?"

"Hey. This is, Haley." Layla smiled and shook Haley's hand.

"It's nice to meet you. How are you feeling?" After greeting Haley, Layla turned her attention back to Dean.

"I feel good. Cured. I guess. What are you doing here?"

"Layla?" Sue Ann asked, coming outside.

"Yes, I'm here again."

"Well, I'm sorry, but Roy is resting and he won't be seeing anyone else right now."

"Sue Ann, please. This is our sixth time, you've got to see us," Layla's mother pleaded.

"Roy is well aware of Layla's situation and he very much wants to help just as soon as the Lord allows. Have faith, Mrs. Rourke." She went inside and Mrs. Rourke turned to Dean and Haley, visibly upset.

"Why are you still here? You got what you wanted."

"Mom. Stop," Layla said.

"No, Layla, this is too much. We've been to every single service. If Roy would stop choosing these strangers over you. Strangers who don't even believe. I just can't pray any harder." Haley placed a hand on Dean's arm to keep him calm and he smiled at her.

"Layla, what's wrong?" she asked.

"It's a brain tumor. It's inoperable. In six months, the doctors say . . . " Mrs. Rourke trailed off and Layla put a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Dean said.

"It's okay."

"No, it isn't. Why do you deserve to live more than my daughter?" She walked away and Layla followed her, close to tears. Haley and Dean were both upset as they watched Layla leave.

* * *

Haley and Dean entered the motel room to find Sam at his laptop, looking upset. "What did you find out?" Haley asked.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what?" Dean questioned.

"Marshall Hall died at 4:17." Haley and Dean were both stunned by the news.

"The exact time I was healed."

"Yeah. So, I put together a list of everyone Roy's healed. Six people over the past year and I cross-checked with the local orbits." He handed Dean a pile of research and he and Haley looked over it as Sam continued talking. "Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time."

"Someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer?" Haley asked.

"Somehow. LeGrange-he's trading one life for another."

"Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?"

"Dean, the guy probably would have died anyway. And someone else would've been healed," Sam said.

"You never should've brought me here."

"Dean, I was just trying to save your life."

"But, Sam, some guy is dead now because of me."

"I didn't know."

"The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it? How's he trading one life for another?" Haley asked.

"Oh, he's not doing it."

"What do you mean?" Sam questioned.

"The old man I saw on stage. I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew it."

"You knew what? What are you talking about?" Haley asked.

"There's only one thing that give and take life." Haley and Sam shared a confused look. "We're dealing with a reaper.

* * *

"You really think it's _the_ Grim Reaper? Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?" Haley questioned as the three of them researched.

"No, no, no. Not _the_ Reaper, _a_ Reaper. There's Reaper lore in pretty much every culture on Earth. Go by a hundred different names. It's possible that there's more than one of 'em."

"But you said you saw a dude in a suit," Sam pointed out.

"Well, what, do you think he should've been workin' the whole black robe thing? You said it yourself that the clock stopped, right?" He held up a piece of paper with a reaper on it. "Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're comin' at you, which is why I could see it and you couldn't."

"Maybe," Sam said.

"There's nothing else it could be, Sam. The question is, how's Roy controllin' the damn thing?" Dean asked.

"That cross."

"What?" Haley asked.

"There was this cross. I noticed it in the church tent. I knew I'd seen it before." He shuffled through a stack of tarot cards and picked one. It depicted a skeleton with a crown on its head and the cross in the corner of the picture. He showed it to Dean and Haley. "Here."

"A tarot?"

"It makes sense. I mean, tarot dates back to the early Christian era, right? When some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff. Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it."

"So, Roy is using black magic to bind the reaper?" Haley asked.

"If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a Great White." Dean stopped to think.

"Okay, then we stop Roy."

"How?" Sam questioned.

"You know how."

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about, Dean? We can't kill Roy," Haley said.

"Haley, the guy's playing God. He's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book."

"No, we're not going to kill a human being, Dean. We do that, we're no better than he is," Haley pointed out.

"Okay, so we can't kill Roy and we can't kill death. Any bright ideas, smart girl?"

"Okay, uh, if Roy is using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we've gotta figure out what it is. And how to break it," Sam said.

* * *

In the parking lot outside of Roy's church, Haley, Sam, and Dean were coming up with a plan. "If Roy is using a spell, there might be a spell book," Sam said.

"See if you can find it. Hurry up, too, the service starts in fifteen minutes. We'll try to stall Roy."

"Alright." They walked past a man who was protesting and handing out flyers.

"Roy LeGrange is a fraud. He's no healer."

"Amen, brother," Dean said.

"You keep up the good word," Sam commented.

"Thank you," the man said.

Sue Ann and another man were helping Roy down the porch steps on their way to the service. Once they were gone, Sam snuck around to the front of the house and climbed in through a window.

He went into Roy's library and began looking through the books on the shelves. He noticed that all of the untouched books had a layer of dust on the shelf. He came across a book that wasn't coated in dust and read the title, Encyclopedia of Christian History.

Sam pulled it out and flipped through it. He looked at the shelf again and noticed a smaller book behind the space where the encyclopedia had been. Picking up the smaller book, he began flipping through the pages and saw a picture of a reaper on one page. He flipped back a page and saw a picture of the cross from the church.

He also found newspaper clippings between the pages of the small book. The first was a headline about an openly gay teacher sending a strong message to the nation's schools. The next headline read "Local Abortion Rights Advocate Calls for End to Violence Against Women." Sam found a third newspaper clipping about the parking lot protestor, David Wright, calling Roy's church a cult. Sam looked stunned.

* * *

Inside the church, Dean's cell phone rang. "What do you got?"

"Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral. Remember that protestor?"

"The guy in the parking lot?" Haley looked at him curiously and he held up a finger, indicating that he would explain when he hung up.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll find him. But you can't let Roy heal anyone, alright?" Dean hung up and began explaining to Haley.

* * *

Out in the parking lot, Sam was searching for David.

* * *

"Layla. Layla Rourke, come up here, child." The crowd clapped and cheered as Layla hugged her mother.

"Oh, mom."

"Baby, I love you."

"Oh, man," Dean whispered. Haley looked at him and he nodded. "Layla, listen to me. You can't go up there."

"Why not? We've waited for months."

"You can't let Roy heal you."

"I don't understand. I mean, Roy healed you, didn't he? Why wouldn't at least let him try?"

"Because if you do, something bad is going to happen. I can't explain, I just need you to believe me."

"Layla," Sue Ann said, gesturing for Layla to come on stage.

"Please," Dean said. Layla looked at her mother who was also urging her to go.

"I'm sorry." She walked away.

"Layla. Layla!" Sue Ann brought Layla onto stage and Dean shared a look with Haley, clearly upset.

* * *

"Help!" Sam heard David and kept looking for him. David was in another part of the parking lot, being followed by the reaper. "Help! Help me, please!" Sam finally found him.

"Where is it?" David pointed to where the reaper was but Sam couldn't see it.

"It's right there!"

"Alright, come on!" Sam and David began running.

* * *

"Fire! Hey, tent's on fire!" Dean called. The crowd looked around frantically then started rushing out of the church. "Fire! Everybody, get out of here!"

"No! No, please! Please, don't stop! Please! Reverend, please! Please! Please, don't stop! Please!" Mrs. Rourke pleaded. Dean, clearly disappointed, dialed a number on his cell phone.

"Friends, if you'd all just leave the tent in an orderly fashion, then we can figure out what's going on out there," Roy said.

"I did it. I stopped Roy," Dean said.

* * *

"David, I think it's okay." David nodded at Sam. When he turned around, the reaper was standing in front of him.

"NO!"

"Dean, it didn't work! The reaper's still comin'!" Sam watched David fall to the ground, his face losing color quickly. "I'm tellin' you! I'm tellin' you, it must not have worked. Roy must not be controlling this thing!"

* * *

"Well, then who the hell is?" He looked around the church and noticed Sue Ann in the corner with her back turned, whispering. "Sue Ann." He hung up the phone and walked over to her. He turned her around and saw that she had the cross from the tarot card around her neck.

* * *

In the parking lot, the reaper suddenly took his hand off David's face and backed away.

* * *

Back inside the church, Sue Ann tucked the cross inside her shirt. "Help! Help me! Help!" Dean sheriffs took Dean away and Haley followed them.

* * *

Outside, the reaper walked away from David and vanished. "I got ya. I got ya," Sam said.

"Thank God," David whispered, gasping for breath.

* * *

"I just don't understand. After everything we've done for, after Roy healed you. We're very, very disappointed, Dean. You can let him go, I'm not gonna press charges. The Lord will deal with him as he sees fit." She walked away.

"We catch you around here again, son, we'll put the fear of God in you, understand?" the sheriff warned.

"Yes, sir. Fear of God. Got it." The sheriff walked away and Haley hid a smile at Dean's response. She turned around and noticed Layla.

"Layla." Layla smiled at her then turned her attention to Dean.

"Why would you do that, Dean? When it could've been my only chance."

"He's not a healer," Haley explained.

"He healed Dean."

"I know it doesn't seem fair. And I wish I could explain, but Roy is not the answer. I'm sorry," Dean said. Layla nodded sadly.

"Goodbye, Dean. I wish you luck. I really do."

"Same to you," Dean said, watching her leave. "You deserve it a lot more than I do." Haley looked up at him and he hugged her.

"It'll be okay, Dean."

"Yeah, I know." He pulled her against his side and wrapped an arm around her as they started walking. They walked by Roy, Sue Ann, and Mrs. Rourke and overheard them talking.

"Private session tonight. No interruptions. I give you my word, I'll heal your daughter," Roy said.

"Thank you, Reverend. God bless you," Mrs. Rourke said. Dean and Haley watched them walk away.

* * *

Back at the motel room, Sam, Dean, and Haley were discussing what was going on. "So Roy really believes?" Sam asked.

"I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing," Haley said.

"Well, I found this hidden in their library." He showed Dean and Haley the small book he found. "It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper." Haley and Dean looked through the book.

"Must be a hell of a spell," Dean said.

"Yeah. You've got to build a black altar with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood. To cross the line like that, that preacher's wife. Black magic, murder. Evil," Sam commented.

"Desperate. Her husband was dying. She'd have done anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy," Dean said.

"Cheating death. Literally," Sam said.

"Yeah, but Roy's alive, so why's she still using the same spell?" Dean asked.

"Right. To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral," Sam explained.

"May God save us from half the people who think they're doing God's work," Haley said.

"We've gotta break that bonding spell," Sam said. Dean noticed the picture of the cross that Sue Ann had.

"You know, Sue Ann had a Coptic cross like this. And when she dropped it, the reaper backed off."

"So, you think we've gotta find the cross or destroy the altar?" Haley asked.

"Maybe both? Whatever we do, we better do it soon. Roy's healing Layla tonight."

* * *

Haley, Sam, and Dean pulled up in the church parking lot and got out of the car. "That's Layla's car. She's already here," Sam said.

"Yeah," Dean commented half-heartedly.

"Dean," Sam said.

"You know, if Roy would have picked Layla instead of me, she'd be healed right now."

"Dean, don't," Haley warned, her voice low.

"And if she's not healed tonight, she's gonna die in a couple of months."

"What's happening to her is horrible but what are you going to do? Let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself, Dean. You can't play God," Haley said. Dean said nothing and looked up to see what was going on in the tent.

"Gather round. Please, everyone, gather round. Come in closer. Come on up." Layla got up on stage.

"Where's Sue Ann?" Dean asked.

"House," Sam answered.

"Go find Sue Ann. We'll catch up."

"What are you . . . " Sam trailed off as Dean and Haley went around to the front of the house and saw the two sheriffs from the service.

"Hey. You gonna put the fear of God in me?" He grabbed Haley's hand and started running as the two sheriffs started chasing them. When they were gone, Sam went onto the porch and looked around the outside of the house.

Haley and Dean were hiding behind a trailer in the parking lot as the sheriffs kept looking for him.

* * *

Sam was looking for a way into the house when he noticed a cellar.

* * *

The sheriffs were looking on the other side of the trailer for Haley and Dean. "You see him?"

"No."

* * *

Sam opened the cellar door and went down the stairs.

* * *

A barking dog appeared in the window of the trailer and the sheriffs saw it. "Psycho mutt." They walked away and Haley and Dean sat up on the roof.

* * *

Sam found Sue Ann's black altar. It was covered with crosses, bones, and candles and in the middle of it was a picture of Dean taken from the church's security camera. There was an X across his face that was written in blood.

"I gave your brother life and I can take it away." Sam turned around and saw her. He overturned the altar and Sue Ann went outside and locked the cellar door with a metal bar. She talked to him from the outside while he tried to open the door.

"Sam, can't you see? The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked. And your brother is wicked. He deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It's God's will." Sam tried to open a small window in the cellar. "Goodbye, Sam." Sue Ann left and Sam used a bar to open the window.

* * *

Roy took Mrs. Rourke's hand. "Mrs. Rourke, pray with me. Pray with me, friends."

* * *

Haley and Dean were walking when all the street lamps suddenly went out. They turned around and saw the reaper standing a few feet away. He started walking toward Dean but Dean didn't run.

The reaper put his hand on the side of Dean's face as Haley watched in horror, unable to stop what was happening. Dean groaned in pain. He fell to his knees and the color began to drain from his face as he gasped for breath.

* * *

Behind the tent, Sam came up to Sue Ann and ripped the cross from around her neck. He threw it onto the ground and shattered it. "No!"

* * *

The reaper suddenly took his hand off of Dean's face.

At the church service, Roy removed his hand from Layla without healing her. "I don't understand," he said.

"I don't feel different," Layla said.

Sue Ann ran over to the broken cross. "My God! What have you done?"

"He's not your God."

"Reverend?" Layla questioned.

"Sue Ann?" Roy asked his own question.

* * *

Sue Ann looked up and saw the reaper standing close by, smiling. She got up and turned around but the reaper appeared in front of her. He put his hand on her face and she fell to the ground, getting paler by the second. A moment later, she collapsed. Sam watched her for a second and then left.

* * *

Haley, Dean, and Sam were back at the car. "You okay?" Sam asked.

"A little bit weak."

"Yeah. Alright, come on, we should get going." Haley grabbed the keys from Dean.

"I'm driving." Dean laughed as they got in the car.

* * *

Sam, Dean, and Haley were in their motel room, getting ready to leave. Dean was sitting on the bed, looking sad. "What is it?" Sam asked.

"Nothing."

"What is it?"

"We did the right thing here, didn't we?"

"Of course we did."

"Didn't feel like it." Haley came over to stand beside him and without thinking, Dean pulled her into his lap, breathing in her scent. Cinnamon and sugar surrounded him and he pressed his forehead to her shoulder.

Sam smiled but didn't say anything. He knew that Haley and Dean really were just friends but he also knew how close they were. He'd noticed the way that Haley always chose to go with Dean when they split up and all the little touches and looks that passed between them. "Do you two want some alone time?"

Haley stuck her tongue out and threw one of her shoes at him. Dean laughed and rested his chin on Haley's shoulder. "Better watch it, Sammy. Haley can kick some ass."

"I've seen." He'd also seen how happy Haley made his brother. He'd seen more real smiles from Dean in the last two weeks than he had in years. A knock at the door interrupted any further conversation.

"I got it," Sam said. He opened the door and Layla was there. "Hey, Layla. Come in." She came in and Sam shut the door.

"Hey."

"Hey. How'd you know we were here?" Dean asked.

"Um, Sam called. He said you wanted to say goodbye." Sam smiled.

"I'm gonna grab a soda." He left and Haley went to follow him but Dean pulled her back into his lap, still needing the comfort that she provided.

"So, um, where are you going?"

"Don't know yet. Our work kinds of takes all over." She nodded.

"You know, I went back to see Roy."

"What happened?" Layla sighed.

"Nothing." She sat down on the other bed. "I mean, he laid his hand on my forehead, but nothing happened."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry it didn't work."

"And Sue Ann. She's dead, you know? Stroke."

"Yeah, I heard. I mean, Roy's a good man. He doesn't deserve what happened." They sat in silence for a minute and Dean stroked Haley's hair. Layla noticed and smiled softly. "It must be rough. To believe in something so much and have it disappoint you like that."

"You wanna hear something weird?"

"Hm?"

"I'm okay. Really. I guess, if you're gonna have faith, you can't just have it when the miracles happen. You have to have it when they don't."

"So, what now?" She shrugged.

"God works in mysterious ways. Goodbye, Dean." She got up to leave.

"Hey." She turned around. "Uh, you know, I'm not much of the prayin' type. But I'm gonna pray for you." Layla looked very touched. She was close to tears when she spoke again.

"Well. There's a miracle right there." Dean watched her leave then looked down at Haley.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Giving me the strength to realize that what was happening was wrong."

"You would have done it without me. I know you, Dean. You may not always think with your brain but you know when something isn't right and you always find a way to fix it."

"Still, thank you." She smiled and leaned into his chest.

"You're welcome."


	4. Highway to Hell

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: _Please_ review and let me know what you think. I know that it seems like I'm neglecting my other fics but I'm not. I'm just trying to get this one caught up the Supernatural season finale so that there can be a cliffhanger for it as well. Also, what do you guys think of a "Next time on . . . " thing at the end of each chapter? Review and let me know.

You Found Me: Chapter Four

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Night

An African-American man was driving down Route 6, listening to a news report on the radio. The radio reception turned static and the man turned it off. A few seconds later, a large truck came speeding down the road behind the man's car and continued to get closer.

"What the . . . " He looked behind him and saw the truck getting faster and closer. He tried to get away but the truck rammed into the back of his car twice. The man tried again to speed up and suddenly the radio turned itself on with clear reception and the truck was gone.

The man, confused, continued to drive. He soon saw the truck in front of him, facing his car. He slammed on the brakes and swerved to a stop. He turned the car around and started driving in the opposite direction.

The truck followed him, gaining speed. Again, the truck hit the back of the man's car twice. The man lost control of his car and went careening off the road. The car flipped over twice and landed right side up. The truck stopped next to the car and started reversing. While it was backing away, it faded into nothing.

* * *

Unknown Location, Gas station, Day

Sam was by the car, looking at a map, Dean was listening to a voicemail on his cell phone and Haley was talking to Chris on hers. "Okay, I think I found a way we can bypass that construction just east of here. We might even make Pennsylvania faster than we thought." Dean hung up his phone, looking slightly surprised.

"Yeah. Problem is, we're not going to Pennsylvania."

"What?" Sam questioned. Haley hung up with Chris and turned her attention to the conversation.

"We what?"

"Just got a call from an old friend. Her father was killed last night. She thinks it might be our kind of thing."

"Our kind of thing?" Haley questioned.

"What?" Sam echoed a different version of Haley's question.

"Yeah. Believe me, she never would've called, _never_, if she didn't need us." He got into the car. "Come on, you comin' or what?" Haley and Sam, clearly confused, got in the car.

* * *

Inside the car, Dean was driving while Haley worked on lyrics for one of her new songs and Sam attempted to read. Unable to concentrate, he closed his book and threw it into the other seat. "By old friend, you mean . . . "

"A friend that's not new." Haley and Sam laughed.

"Yeah, thanks. So, her name's Cassie, huh?" Sam questioned. Dean nodded. "You never mentioned her." Dean hesitated before he answered.

"Didn't I?"

"No," Sam answered.

"Yeah, we went out."

"You mean you dated someone? For more than one night?" Haley asked.

"Am I speakin' a language you're not getting here?" Haley laughed and when Dean turned to look at her, she pushed his head back toward the windshield so he could pay attention to the road.

"Eyes on the road, playboy." Dean laughed and looked back out at the road.

"Yeah, Dad and I were workin' a job in Athens, Ohio. She was finishing up college and we went out for a couple weeks."

"And?" Sam prompted. Dean shook his head. "Look, it's terrible about her dad but it kind of sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do. Which, by the way, how does she know what we do?" Dean didn't respond and Haley and Sam shared a look of disbelief.

"You told her. You told her? The secret? Our big family rule number one, we do what we do and we shut up about it. For a year and a half I do nothing but lie to Jessica and you go out with this chick in Ohio and you tell her everything?" Dean still didn't say anything. "Dean!"

"Yeah. Looks like it." Haley shook her head and went back to writing lyrics. Sam shook his head, upset.

* * *

In a newsroom, Cassie was talking with two men. One was the mayor, Harold Todd, and the other was Jimmy Anderson. "It's a newspaper we put out here. Not a bulletin for the mayor's office," Jimmy said.

"Get off your soap box, Jimmy. I'm urging a little discretion is all," Harold explained.

"No, I think you're telling us what you want us to print and what you want us to sit on," Cassie put in.

"I know you're upset, Cassie. I liked your dad a lot, but I think your grief is clouding your judgement," Harold said.

"Two black people were killed on the same stretch of road in the same way in three weeks," Jimmy said. Haley, Sam, and Dean entered but weren't seen by the other three.

"Jimmy, you're too close to this. Those guys were friends of yours." Harold turned back to Cassie. "Again, I'm very sorry for your loss." The mayor and Jimmy walked away in separate directions. Cassie turned around and saw Sam, Dean, and Haley. She looked stunned to see Dean and he nodded at her, smiling weakly as he reached unknowingly for Haley's hand.

"Dean." She walked over to them.

"Hey, Cassie." They shared an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Haley smiled, sensing the history between them. "This is my brother, Sam, and our friend, Haley." The three of them smiled at each other. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"Yeah, me too." Cassie's voice held a note of sadness as she spoke.

* * *

That night, Cassie was serving Dean, Haley, and Sam tea. "My mother's in pretty bad shape. I've been staying with her. I wish she would walk by herself, she's been so nervous and frightened. She was worried about Dad."

"Why?" Dean questioned.

"He swore he saw an awful-looking black truck following him."

"A truck? Who was the driver?" Sam asked.

"He didn't talk about a driver. Just the truck. He said it would appear and disappear. And in the accident, Dad's truck was dented. Like it had been slammed into by something big." She handed them three cups of tea.

"Thanks. Now, you're sure this dent wasn't there before?" Haley asked.

"He sold cars. Always drove a new one. I mean, there wasn't a scratch on the thing. It had rained hard that night, there was mud everywhere. There was a distinct set of muddy tracks from Dad's car, leading right to the edge. Where he went over. One set of tracks-his."

"And the first person killed was a friend of your father's?" Dean asked.

"Best friend. Clayton Solmes. They owned the car dealership together. Same thing. Dent, no tracks. And the cops said exactly what they said about Dad. He lost control of his car."

"Now, can you think of any reason why your father and his partner might be targets?" Dean asked.

"No."

"And you think this vanishing truck ran him off the road?" Sam questioned. Cassie looked embarrassed when she spoke again.

"Oh, when you say it like that. Listen, I'm a little skeptical about this . . . ghost stuff or whatever it is you guys do." Dean laughed.

"Skeptical. Yeah, if I remember, I think you said nuts."

"That was then," Cassie said, her voice holding a note of sadness. When Dean spoke again, his voice was cold.

"Mm." Sam looked at Cassie sympathetically and Haley slipped her hand into Dean's.

"I just know I can't explain what happened up there so I called you." Cassie's mom came into the house then. "Mom! Where have you been, I was so . . . "

"Oh, I had no idea you'd invited friends over."

"Uh, Mom, this is Dean a friend from . . . college. His brother, Sam, and their friend, Haley."

"Well, uh, I won't interrupt you." She started to leave.

"Mrs. Robinson," Dean said. She stopped. "We're sorry for your loss. And we'd like to talk to you for a minute, if you don't mind." Her expression turned cold.

"I'm not really up to that just now." She walked away and Cassie, Sam, Haley, and Dean looked around, disappointed.

* * *

The next day, the police and ambulances were surrounding the area where there had been another crash while the mayor and Cassie walked together. "Jimmy meant something to this town. He was one of our best. It won't be the same without him," the mayor said.

"Our best seem to be dropping like flies. Clayton, my father, Jimmy."

"What is it exactly you want me to do?"

"Well, how about closing this section of road, for starters."

"Close the main road. The only road in and out of town?" He shook his head. "Accidents do happen, Cassie. That's what they are-accidents." Haley, Dean, and Sam walked up behind Cassie.

"Did the cops check for additional denting on Jimmy's car? See if it was pushed?" Haley asked.

"Who's this?" Harold questioned.

"Dean and Sam Winchester and Haley James. Family friends. This is Mayor Harold Todd."

"So, one set of tire tracks-one-doesn't point to foul play." Dean looked at the tire tracks leading from the car.

"Mayor, the police and town officials take their cues from you. If you're indifferent about . . . " Cassie was cut off.

"Indifferent?"

"Would you close the road if the victims were white?"

"You're suggesting I'm racist, Cassie? I'm the last person you should talk to like that."

"And why is that?"

"Why don't you ask your mother?" He walked away and Cassie looked hurt.

* * *

In their motel room, Dean and Sam were putting on suits while Haley worked on a research paper. "I'll say this for her, she's fearless," Sam commented.

"Mmhmm."

"I bet she kicked your ass a couple times." Dean glared at Sam and Haley laughed. "What's interesting is you guys never really look at each other at the same time. You look at her when she's not looking, she checks you out when you look away." Dean looked at him strangely. "It's just an interesting observation. In a, you know, observationally interesting way." Haley smiled and Dean turned to look at her.

"What do you think, rock star?"

"I think you and Phoebe Halliwell should go do what you have to so I can finish this paper on time." Sam glared at her and Haley smiled innocently, causing Dean to laugh.

"Nice, change of topic," Sam said.

"I think we have more pressing issues here."

"Hey, if I'm hittin' a nerve . . . "

"Oh, let's go." He walked away and Sam smiled as did Haley.

* * *

At the dock by the lake, two men were playing checkers and Sam and Dean walked up to them. "Excuse me, are you Ron Stubbins?" The Caucasian man nodded. "You were friends of Jimmy Anderson?"

"Who are you?" Ron asked.

"We're with Mr. Anderson's insurance company. We're just here to dot some i's and cross some t's."

"We were just wondering, had the deceased mentioned any unusual recent experiences?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean, unusual?" Ron questioned.

"Well, visions, hallucinations," Sam explained.

"It's all part of a medical examination kind of thing. All very standard," Dean explained.

"What company did you say you were with?" Ron asked.

"All National Mutual." He took an envelope halfway out of the inside of his jacket then put it away. The African American man looked curious. "Tell me, did he ever mention seeing a truck? A big, black truck?" The other man suddenly looked interested.

"What the hell are you talking about? You even speaking English?" Ron asked.

"Son, this truck-a big, scary, monster-lookin' thing?" the man asked.

"Yeah, actually, I think so," Dean answered. The man nodded.

"What?" Dean asked.

"I have heard of a truck like that."

"You have? Where?" Sam asked.

"Not where-when. Back in the sixties, there was a string of deaths. Black men. Story goes, they disappeared in a big, nasty, black truck," the man explained.

"They ever catch the guy who did it?" Dean asked.

"Never found him. Hell, I'm not sure they even really looked. See, there was a time this town wasn't too friendly to all its citizens." He glared at Ron.

"Thank you," Sam said as they walked away.

* * *

Dean and Sam were talking as they walked back to the car. "Truck," Dean said.

"Keeps comin' up, doesn't it?" Sam asked.

"You know what I was thinking? You heard of the _Flying Dutchman_?"

"Yeah, a ghost ship infused with the captain's evil spirit. Basically a part of him."

"Yeah, so what if we're dealing with the same thing? You know, a phantom truck that's the extension of some bastard ghost, reenacting past crimes."

"The victims have all been black men."

"It's more than that. They all seem connected to Cassie and her family."

"Alright, well, you work with that angle. Go talk to her."

"Yeah, I will."

"Oh, and you might also want to mention that other thing." They stopped at the car.

"What other thing?"

"The Haley thing. Dean, what is going on between you two?"

"Nothing. Look, Haley and I are just friends and before you start again, so are Cassie and I."

"Oh, okay. Yeah."

"Okay, believe what you want. Haley and I are friends and that's all we'll ever be." Sam shook his head. Haley and Dean could both be incredibly stubborn at times and now seemed to be one of those times. At that moment, Sam's cell phone rang.

"Hello."

"Are you talking about me?"

"Haley, what's up?"

"Have you found anything?"

"No, Dean's going to talk to Cassie and I'm on my way back to the motel."

"Research?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll see you then." He hung up and turned to look at Dean.

"Meet us back at the motel." Dean nodded and got into the car.

* * *

Cassie was at her house, working at her desk, when there was a knock on the door. She got up to answer it and smiled when she saw Dean. "Dean, hey."

"Hey."

"Come on in." He came in and shut the door.

"So, are you busy?"

"Uh, the paper's doing a tribute to Jimmy. I was just going through his stuff, his awards. Trying to find the words."

"That's gotta be tough."

"For years, this family owned the paper, the Dorians. They had a whites only staff policy. After they sold it, Jimmy became the first black reporter. He didn't stop till he became editor. He taught me everything. Where are your brother and Haley?"

"Not here."

"Alright, so, uh what brings you here?"

"Trying to find the connection between the three victims. By the way, did you talk to your mom about what Todd said about not being racist?"

"I did. She didn't wanna talk about it."

"Right. So, just then, um, why'd you ask where Sam and Haley were?"

"Nothing. Not important."

"Oh, not you, too."

"What?"

"Sam is convinced that Haley and I have feelings for each other."

"Don't you? Dean, I saw the way you looked at her, the way you held her hand in the newsroom."

"Cassie, I . . . " She shook her head, knowing what he was about to say.

"It's okay. I like her. We broke up, we both moved on."

"She's a friend, that's it." Cassie nodded and smiled but didn't say anything. Dean groaned and shook his head.

He didn't know why everyone insisted that there was something between he and Haley. The only thing between them was friendship. "Okay, I give up. Believe what you want."

* * *

"Hey, you guys find anything?" Dean asked, entering the motel room.

"Not much," Haley answered.

"You want to take a break?" Haley looked over at Sam, who nodded. He knew Haley had been working on her research paper for the last four days with almost no break and that she deserved a break.

"You need a break. Go with Dean." She smiled and kissed his cheek before standing up and grabbing her jacket.

"Thank you." Dean smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "We're not going to check out a lead or anything are we?" Dean laughed and shook his head.

"No, you need a break from all the work you've been doing."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Sam smiled as they left the room, Haley trying to figure out where Dean was taking her and Dean stubbornly refusing to give in. They would eventually realize what was between them even if Sam had to lock them in a room.

* * *

"What do you think?" Dean asked.

"It's beautiful. I love the beach."

"I know. That's why I brought you here." She smiled and laid back, resting against the windshield. The last four days, she had been working almost constantly to finish her report early and send it in with the rest of her work for next three weeks.

She'd finally finished about fifteen minutes after Sam had gotten back to the room and then she'd immediately started researching their newest problem. So when Dean had offered to take her out, she had jumped at the chance.

He hadn't told her where they were going and he'd blindfolded her until they'd gotten to their destination. "Thank you." He smiled and laid back against the windshield as well.

"How did your paper go?"

"I think I did pretty good. I just hope the teacher thinks the same thing."

"He will. You're one of the smartest people I've ever met."

"So, why didn't you invite Sam?" He smiled and covered her hand with his.

"It's been a while since we've had a chance for just the two of us to hang out." She nodded and closed her eyes, listening to the waves crash onto the beach.

"Mmm, I forgot how quiet it was out here."

"You're not going to sleep are you?" Dean's voice held a playful note that Haley wasn't used to hearing.

"No, I'm hungry."

"Do you want to get something then come back here?" She nodded and sat up, pulling him with her.

"Come on." He laughed as they got into the car.

"What do you want?"

"You're the one that knows what's around here."

"I know the perfect place. You'll love the food they've got."

* * *

"How long have we been here?" Haley asked.

"Hours," Dean answered. Haley smiled and traced random shapes on his chest. After eating they'd decided to stay and talk and now the sun was getting ready to come up.

"It's been nice. This is the first time in a long time we've talked like this." He nodded, stroking her hair. They'd spent the last several hours catching up on each other's lives and they had fallen into a comfortable silence about ten minutes ago.

"I've missed this. I hated not being able to see you for months at a time."

"I know but I understood that you had to travel. I wish we could fine John."

"We will. Even if we're not looking for him anymore, we'll find him."

"You sound confident." He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"He's my dad. I can't just give up. If anything happens to him . . . " Dean trailed off, his voice thick with emotion. Haley lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"Nothing is going to happen to John. You have to believe that."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you and I know John and I know that both of you are too stubborn to give up. He's going to make sure that you and Dean are okay."

"You, too," he said, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. In a rare moment, she saw how vulnerable Dean could be as tears sparkled in his eyes.

"It's okay to cry, Dean. It won't change what I think about you." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It's so easy to open up around you."

"What makes me different from anyone else?" He shook his head, not really sure.

"I don't know. It doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't but I like it." He smiled again and suddenly the air around them was charged with something neither of them could identify. Haley tilted her head but just as she and Dean began moving closer, his cell phone rang. He groaned and reluctantly answered his phone.

"Yeah?. . . You're kidding." He hung up and looked back up at Haley. "We have to go."

* * *

Haley and Dean walked up to Sam who was finishing talking to a police officer. He gestured to Haley and Dean. "And they're with me." The officer nodded and walked away. "Where were you two last night?" Neither of them answered and Sam smiled. "You didn't make it back to the motel."

"Nope," Dean said. Before Sam could jump to any conclusion, Haley spoke up.

"Nothing happened. We just talked."

"You talked for ten hours?"

"Yes, we did," Haley answered. Sam laughed. "So, what happened?"

"Every bone crushed. Internal organs turned to pudding. The cops are all stumped but it's almost like something ran him over."

"Something like a truck?" Dean asked.

"Yep."

"Tracks?" Haley questioned.

"Nope." Dean sighed.

"What was the mayor doing here anyway?"

"He owned the property. Bought it a few weeks ago," Sam answered.

"Yeah, but he's white. He doesn't fit the pattern," Haley said.

"Killings didn't happen up on the road. That doesn't fit the pattern either," Sam said.

* * *

In the newsroom, Cassie poured two cups of coffee and sat down next to Dean, who was on the computer. She handed him a mug. "Thanks. So, I'm trying to find some link between those killings back in the sixties and what's going on now but there wasn't a lot about it in the paper."

"Not surprising. Probably minimum police work, too. Back then, equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here." Dean's phone rang and he answered it. "Yeah?"

"Okay, the courthouse records show that Mr. and Mrs. Mayor bought and abandoned property. The previous owner was the Dorian family for like 150 years," Haley said.

"Dorian?"

"Yeah." Dean turned to Cassie.

"Didn't you say the Dorian family used to own this paper?" She nodded.

"Along with most everything else around here. Real pillars of the town."

"Right, right." He brought up an article on the computer with the headline Dorian Still Missing. Cyrus Dorian Missing for More Than a Week. "That's interesting."

"What?" Haley asked.

"This Cyrus Dorian-he vanished in April of '63. The case was investigated but never solved. That's right around the time the string of murders was going on back then."

"Well, I pulled a bunch of papers on the Dorian place. It must have been in bad shape when the mayor bought it."

"Why is that?"

"The first thing he did was bulldoze the place." Dean turned to Cassie again.

"Mayor Todd knocked down the Dorian place?" She nodded.

"It was a big deal. One of the oldest local houses left. It made the front page." Dean spoke to Haley again.

"You got a date?"

"The third of last month." Dean typed something in on the keyboard and brought up another article.

"Mayor Todd bulldozes Dorian family home on the third. The first killing was the very next day." He exchanged a look with Cassie.

* * *

Cassie was walking into her living room when the lights started to flicker. She walked to a set of windows and shut the blinds as a truck started to move toward the house. It stopped just in front of the house and put itself in reverse. It then started driving toward the front door.

Inside the house, another set of windows started to open and shut. The papers on Cassie's desk scattered everywhere. Terrified, she moved to the hallway where she could see the truck through the glass of the front door. She dialed a number on her cell phone. "Dean! Dean!"

* * *

Mrs. Robinson, Cassie, Dean, and Haley were sitting down in Cassie's living room. Sam handed Cassie a cup of tea then sat down as well. "Maybe you could throw a couple shots in there," she said.

"You didn't see who was driving the truck?" Dean asked. Cassie shook her head.

"Seemed to be no one. Everything was moving so fast. And then it was just gone. Why didn't it kill us?"

"Whoever's controlling the truck wants you afraid first," Haley explained.

"Mrs. Robinson, Cassie said that your husband saw the truck before he died," Sam said. She didn't say anything.

"Mom?"

"Mm?" Cassie looked at her mom curiously. "Oh, Martin was under a lot of stress. You can't be sure what he was seeing."

"Well, after tonight, I think we can be reasonably sure that he was seeing a truck. What happened tonight-you and Cassie are marked. Okay? And your daughter could die. So, if you know something, now would be a really good time to tell us about it," Dean said.

"Dean . . . " Cassie trailed off.

"Yes. Yes, he saw a truck," Mrs. Robinson said.

"Did he know who it belonged to?" Sam asked.

"He thought he did."

"Who was that?" Haley asked. Mrs. Robinson choked back tears as she spoke.

"Cyrus. A man named Cyrus." Dean took the article from the computer out of his coat pocket and showed it to her.

"Is this Cyrus?"

"Cyrus Dorian died more than 40 years ago." Dean looked surprised.

"How do you know he died Mrs. Robinson?" Haley questioned. She looked guilty. "The paper said he went missing. How do you know he died?" Haley's voice was gentle and Cassie's mom smiled at her.

Sam and Dean shared a smile, Haley could persuade anyone to do anything. All she had to do was smile, blink her big brown eyes, or pretend to cry and they were wrapped around her finger.

"We were all very young. I dated Cyrus a while but I was also seeing Martin. In secret, of course. Interracial couples didn't go over to well then. When I broke it off with Cyrus and when he found out about Martin . . . I don't know. He-he changed. His hatred, it was frightening." Sam looked at Dean.

"The string of murders."

"There were rumors. People of color disappearing in some kind of truck but nothing was ever done." Mrs. Robinson started to cry. "Martin and I, we were going to be married in a little church near here but at the last minute we decided to elope. We didn't want the attention."

"And Cyrus?" Dean asked.

"The day we set for the wedding was . . . the day someone set fire to the church. There was a children's choir practicing in there. They all died."

"Did the attacks stop after that?" Sam asked softly. Mrs. Robinson was sobbing now.

"No. There was one more. One night, that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible. But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. And he started hitting Cyrus and he just kept hitting him and hitting him." She stopped, unable to go on. Haley placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and put her free hand on her arm. Mrs. Robinson smiled at her gratefully and put her hand over Haley's.

"Why didn't he call the cops?" Dean asked. Mrs. Robinson looked at him curiously.

"This was forty years ago! He called on friends, Clayton Solmes and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body into the truck and rolled it into the swamp at the edge of this land. All three of them kept that secret all these years."

"And now all three are gone," Sam said.

"So is Mayor Todd. Now, he said that you, of all people, would know that he is not a racist. Why would he say that?" Dean asked.

"He was a good man. He was a young deputy back then, investigating Cyrus' disappearance. Once he figured out what Martin and the others had done, he did nothing because he knew what Cyrus had also done."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cassie asked, crying.

"I thought I was protecting them." She started crying again. "And now there's no one left to protect."

"Yes, there is," Dean said. He looked at Cassie and Mrs. Robinson took her daughter's hand with her free hand.

* * *

Haley, Sam, and Dean were standing by the car. "My life was so simple. Just school, exams, papers on polycentric cultural norms," Sam said.

"Mine was the same way. Cheerleading, research papers, hanging out with my friends. And then I met Dean," Haley said. They all three laughed.

"So, I saved you two from a boring existence." Haley and Sam spoke at the same time.

"Yeah, occasionally, I miss boring." Dean paused.

"Alright, so this killer truck . . . " Sam laughed as he spoke again.

"I miss conversations that didn't start with "this killer truck." Dean nodded and laughed.

"Alright, well, this Cyrus guy . . . "

"Yeah," Haley agreed.

"Evil on a level that infected his truck. And when he died, the swamp became his tomb. And the spirit was dormant for forty years," Dean said.

"So, what woke it up?" Sam asked.

"The construction on his house. Or, the destruction," Dean answered.

"Right. Demolition or remodeling can awaken spirits, make 'em restless. Like that theater in Illinois," Sam said.

"Yeah. And the guy who tears down the family homestead, Harold Todd, is the same guy that kept Cyrus' murder quiet and unsolved," Dean said.

"So, now his spirit is awakened and out for blood," Haley said.

"Yeah, I guess. Who knows what ghosts are thinking anyway?" Dean asked.

"You know we're gonna have to dredge that body up from the swamp, right?" Dean smiled falsely and nodded. "Oh, man."

"You said it," Haley said.

"Yeah," Sam said. Cassie came outside then.

"Hey," Dean greeted.

"Hey. She's asleep. Now what?"

"Well, you stay put and look after her. And we'll be back. Don't leave the house."

"Don't go getting all authoritative on me. I hate it."

"Don't leave the house, please?" She nodded and Sam, Dean, and Haley got in the car.

* * *

At the swamp, Dean was using a dredge to pull the truck up from under the water. "Alright, let's get her up," Sam said. Dean pulled the truck almost completely out of the swamp. "Alright, little more, little more. Little more." Dean pulled the entire thing onto the land. "Alright, stop." Dean stopped the machine and got out. "Nice."

"Hell, yeah."

"Now I know what she sees in you." Without warning, Haley reached up and smacked Sam in the back of the head. "Hey, what was that for?" Haley shrugged and smiled innocently. Dean laughed and went along with her.

"What are you talking about?" Sam laughed.

"Come on, man, you can admit it. You're in love with her."

"Oh, can we focus, please?" He opened his trunk.

"I'm just sayin', Dean. Alright, what am I getting?"

"Gas, flashlight."

"Got it, got it."

"Alright, let's get this done."

"Alright." They closed the trunk and Haley took the flashlight from Sam.

"By the way, 'her' was standing right beside you the whole time." Dean laughed at the surprised look on Sam's face. He'd seen Haley fight and give attitude but he'd never seen her like that. Dean cautiously opened the driver's side door. They found the decomposing skeleton of Cyrus Dorian inside. Sam, Haley, and Dean looked disgusted.

"Alright, let's get to it," Dean said. Dean and Sam laid the skeleton on the table and Haley poured gas and salt all over it. The body burst into flames.

"Think that'll do it?" Sam asked. Suddenly, the ghost truck roared to life.

"I guess not," Haley answered.

Haley, Dean, and Sam watched the truck while the body burned. "So, burning the body had no effect on that thing?" Sam asked.

"Oh, sure it did. Now it's really pissed," Dean answered.

"But Cyrus' ghost is gone, right, Dean?"

"Apparently not the part that's fused with the truck." He and Haley walked over to his car.

"Where are you going?"

"We're going for a little ride."

"What?" Haley questioned.

"I'm gonna lead that thing away." He pointed to the truck they had just uncovered. "That rusted piece of crap, Sam's gotta burn it."

"How the hell am I supposed to burn a truck, Dean?"

"I don't know. Figure something out." He tossed Sam a bag full of objects and he and Haley got in the car.

"Figure something . . . " He watched the truck follow Dean and Haley away from the swamp.

* * *

Haley and Dean were being chased by the truck which was rapidly gaining speed.

* * *

Sam was frantically searching through John's journal.

* * *

Haley and Dean were still being chased.

* * *

Sam was looking at a map when his cell phone rang and he answered it. "Hey, you gotta give me a minute."

"I don't have a minute! What are we doing?"

"Uh . . . let me get back to you." Sam hung up.

* * *

Dean hung up and watched the truck in the rearview mirror.

"Hey, Cassie. Hey, it's Sam. Okay, I need some information and it has to be exactly right."

* * *

Dean pressed a button on his phone. "Alright, Dean?" Sam asked.

"This better be good!"

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the middle of nowhere with a killer truck on my ass! I mean, it's like it knows I put the torch to Cyrus!"

"Dean, Dean, listen to me, it's important. I have to know exactly where you are." Dean passed a street sign reading Decatur Road.

"Decatur Road, about two miles off the highway."

"Okay, headed east?"

"Yes!" The truck crashed into the back of the car and Dean dropped his cell phone. "Oh, you son of a bitch!" He picked his phone up.

"Okay, uh, turn right. Up ahead, turn right." Dean turned sharply to the right and the truck followed him. "You make the turn?"

"Yeah, I made the turn! You're gonna need to move this thing along a little faster!"

"Alright, you see a road up ahead?"

"No!" He looked again. "What-wait, yes, I see it!"

"Okay, turn left."

"What?" The truck was now beside him. Dean waited for the truck to pass him completely then he made the turn. "Alright, now what?"

"You need to go exactly seven-tenths of a mile and stop."

"Stop?"

"Exactly seven-tenths, Dean." Dean watched his odometer carefully and after driving exactly seven-tenths of a mile, he screeched to a halt. In the distance, he could see the truck facing him, motionless. "Dean, you still there?"

"Yeah."

"What's happening?"

"It's just staring at me. What do I do?"

"Just what you are doing. Bringing it to you." Dean watched as the truck began speeding toward his car. He put his phone down, waiting.

"Come on, come on." The truck finally reached his car and drove right through it then disappeared completely. Dean and Haley waited, confused.

"Dean? You still there? Dean?" Dean picked up his phone.

"Where'd it go?"

"Dean, you're where the church was."

"What church?" Haley rolled her eyes.

"The place Cyrus burned down. Murdered all those kids." Sam smiled as helistened to Haley, Dean had definitely met his match.

"Not a whole lot of it left," Dean commented.

"Church ground is hallowed ground, whether the church is still there or not. Evil spirits cross over hallowed ground, sometimes they're destroyed. So, I figured maybe that would get rid of it," Sam explained.

"Maybe? Maybe! What if you were wrong?"

"Huh. That honestly hadn't occurred to me." Dean, clearly furious, hung up.

"Well, that honestly didn't occur to me." He slammed his hand on the steering wheel and Haley placed her hand on his arm. "I'm gonna kill him." She smiled and laid her head on his chest as he breathed in her scent.

* * *

"So, where are we going next?" Sam asked the next morning as they loaded the car. Dean shrugged and Haley smiled, now was the perfect time to tell them about her solo trip.

"New York." Both Winchester brothers looked at her in surprise.

"What?" Dean questioned.

"I was talking to Chris the other day and he told me that he got me some studio time. My flight leaves in three days and I'll be back in eight days." Dean shook his head and turned away, upset.

"That was part of the reason I came with you two. I have to go to New York." Sam nodded and pulled her into a hug.

"I know and so does he." Haley buried her face in Sam's shirt and bit her lip to keep from crying. She wasn't sure why this was so hard. Sam pulled back and tilted his head toward Dean, indicating that she should talk to him. She nodded and walked over to him as Sam got into the car.

"Dean, you knew this would happen. I told you before we left Tree Hill that I would have to go to New York every once and a while." He still refused to look at her and Haley sighed. She'd never seen him act like this and she didn't understand it.

"Okay, you know what? If I'm going to be ignored just for trying to do something I love then maybe I"ll just take my stuff with me and go back to Tree Hill when I finish recording the songs I've got." Haley turned to get in the car but Dean grabbed her hand and pulled her against his chest.

"Haley, I'm sorry. I know you have to go."

"Then why are you acting like this? I don't understand it, Dean. It's not like you."

"Everyone who's left never comes back. Mom left, Dean left, Dad left." Haley looked up at him, understanding now.

"Sam came back and you'll find John. Dean, I'll come back. I promise." She knew he hated being vulnerable but she liked seeing a different side of him and right now she felt closer to Dean than she ever had.

"I don't want you to go." Haley bit her lip to keep from crying.

"Dean, please, don't make this hard. I'm not leaving for three days. Promise me we won't have to go through this again." He nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

"I promise." She smiled and kissed his cheek. The feel of his unshaven skin against her smooth skin made her shiver and he held her closer.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, you need to shave." He laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"Sorry." She shook her head and laid her head on his chest.

"I like it."

"You just said I needed to shave."

"I changed my mind. I like it."

"Call me when you get there?"

"You'll be the first one I call." He smiled and ran a hand through her hair, not wanting to let her go.

"I guess we should get going."

"Yeah, I guess we should." He pulled back and handed her the keys as he walked around to the passenger's side.

"Wake me up when we get there." She smiled and got in, putting her sunglasses on as she shut the door.


	5. Mixed Feelings

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: So, I had somebody review and ask for more original pieces. I'm trying to stick with each hunt and at the same time add some Haley/Dean and some more original moments. What do you think, should I keep everyone the ages they are now or make Haley and the rest of the Tree Hill gang older so that Dean and Sam can be their original ages? Sorry, it took so long to get this chapter, my birthday is today and I've been busy doing things all week so I've had to work on it a little each day.

You Found Me: Chapter Five

A man pulled into his parking garage, turned off his car, and started gathering his things. All of a sudden, the garage door closed on its own and the car doors locked themselves. The key turned in the ignition and the car roared to life.

The man watched, confused, as the garage and the car began to fill with carbon monoxide. He started coughing while trying to unlock the doors which didn't open. He shook the keys out of the ignition but the car didn't turn off. Panicking, he used his jacket to cover the vents in the car but the carbon monoxide continued to fill up the car.

"Help! Somebody, help me!" He continued to pound on the doors and windows and soon collapsed on his seat, dead.

* * *

There was a blinding flash of white light and Sam burst awake. He sat up in bed, sweating. "Dean." When Dean didn't wake up, he moved off the bed and shook him awake. "Dean."

Dean groaned as Sam started moving quickly around the room. "What are you doing, man? It's the middle of the night."

"We have to go." Sam packed some items in a duffel bag then closed it.

"What's happening?" Haley asked sleepily.

"We have to go. Can you get to the airport tomorrow?" Dean asked, running his hand over her hair.

"Yeah." She fell asleep again almost instantly and Dean smiled.

"We have to go. Right now," Sam said.

* * *

Dean was speeding down the highway while Sam talked on the phone. "McCreedy. Detective McCreedy, badge number 15A. And I've got a signal 480 in progress. I need the registered owner of a two-door Sedan, Michigan license plate, Mary Frank, 6037. Yeah, okay, just hurry."

"Sammy, relax. I'm sure it's just a nightmare."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"No, I mean it. You know, a normal, everyday, naked-in-class nightmare. This license plate, it won't check out, you'll see."

"It felt different, Dean. Real. Like when I dreamt about our old house and Jessica."

"Well, yeah, that makes sense. You're dreamin' about _our_ house, _your_ girlfriend. This guy in your dream, you ever seen him before?"

"No."

"No, exactly. Why would you have premonitions about some random dude in Michigan?"

"I don't know."

"Me neither."

"Yes, I'm here. Jim Miller. Saginaw, Michigan. You have a street address? Got it. Thanks." He wrote down the information and hung up, looking stunned. "Checks out. How far are we?"

"From Saginaw?"

"Yeah."

"Couple hours."

"Drive faster." Dean stepped on the gas and they sped up.

* * *

Police cars and ambulances surrounded the area around Jim Miller's house. Paramedics were putting Jim's body in a body bag while police officers talked to Jim's family. Dean and Sam pulled up and observed the scene, looking disappointed. They exchanged a look as they got out of the car and began walking around, observing everything. "What happened?" Dean asked a woman he was standing near.

"Suicide. I can't believe it."

"Did you know him?" Sam asked.

"I saw him every Sunday at St. Augustine's. He always seems-seemed so normal. I guess you never know what's going on behind closed doors."

"Yeah, I guess not," Dean agreed.

"How did-how are they saying it happened?" Sam questioned.

"I heard they found him in the garage. Locked inside his car with the engine running." Sam and Dean exchanged a look.

"Do you know about what time they found him?" Sam asked.

"Oh, it just happened about an hour or two ago. Oh, his poor family. I can't even imagine what they're going through." Sam looked very upset and walked away and Dean followed him.

"Sam, we got here as fast as we could."

"Not fast enough. It just doesn't make any sense, man. Why would I even have these premonitions unless there was a chance I could stop them from happening?"

"I don't know." Sam sighed deeply.

"Maybe the guy just killed himself. You know, maybe there's nothing supernatural going on at all."

"I'm telling you, I watched it happen. He was murdered by something, Dean. It trapped him in the garage."

"Well, what? A spirit, a poltergeist, what?"

"I don't know what it was. I don't know why I'm having these dreams. I don't know what the hell is happening, Dean." Dean stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing, man, I'm just worried about you."

"Well, don't look at me like that."

"I'm not lookin' at you like anything. Though I gotta say, you look like crap."

"Nice. Thanks."

"Yeah, well-Come on, let's just pick this up in the morning. We'll check out the house, we'll talk to the family."

"Dean, you saw them, they're devastated. They're not gonna want to talk to us."

"Yeah, you're right. But I think I know who they will talk to."

"Who?" Dean smirked at him.

* * *

Haley stepped into the lobby of the recording studio and dialed Sam's cell phone number. She'd called Dean's phone earlier and it had gone straight to voicemail so she was guessing that it had died because it was unusual for Dean not to answer his phone unless he was in the middle of a hunt. "Hello?"

"Sam, hey."

"Haley, how was your flight?"

"It was good. I tried calling earlier but Dean's phone went straight to voicemail."

"His phone's dead. He's charging it right now."

"So, is everything okay? You seemed kind of freaked out last night."

"I had another premonition. We didn't get there in time."

"Oh, Sam. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. It's just frustrating. I don't understand why I saw that unless I was supposed to stop it."

"Maybe it's connected to something else that you're supposed to stop." Sam hadn't thought of that. Maybe Haley was right, he just had to figure out what it was connected to.

"I don't know why I didn't think about that."

"You're too stressed. You need to relax."

"Any suggestions?"

"You can start by not talking about what's going on right now."

"Right. How are things in New York?"

"They're good. I've been at the studio for about three hours and have one song recorded."

"That's good. Have you talked to anyone from Tree Hill?"

"Yeah, things are kind of crazy there."

"How?"

"Someone unleashed the time capsule they made last year. School's been closed down for the rest of the day. Apparently Brooke is also on internet."

"I think I saw that." Haley's eyes widened in surprise.

"Sam, tell me you weren't."

"No, I don't look at that stuff. I was doing some research and it popped up." Haley smiled and shook her head.

"Poor Brooke."

"Hey, Dean just came in. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah, that would be great." Sam smiled and handed the phone to his brother.

"Hello?"

"Hey." Dean smiled when he heard Haley's voice and Sam shook his head.

"Haley!"

"I'm guessing that means you're happy to hear from me."

"I am. Why didn't you call earlier?"

"I did but your phone was dead."

"Sorry, I didn't realize how low the battery was."

"It's okay. Sam told me about what happened. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I think he's more confused than anything."

"I would be too."

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the recording studio. I've got a break and I decided to call two of my favorite people."

"Two?"

"Yeah, Jenny's my baby girl. She'll always be first on my favorites list."

"I got outranked by a sixteen-month-old? That's just wrong."

"Sorry. Maybe if you were as cute as Jenny." Haley smiled, she knew exactly what to say to make Dean crazy.

"Hey!"

"You've seen Jenny. How can you not think she's cute?"

"She is, in a little-girl-babies-are-cute way." Haley laughed, she couldn't help it.

"And how are you cute?"

"I'm not cute."

"As much I would love to continue teasing you, my break is almost over."

"Hey, when do you get back?" He'd didn't know why he missed Haley so much but he did. He'd missed Sam when he was at Stanford but not this much.

"Saturday. You'll meet me at the airport?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"Good." Haley didn't know what else to say. She missed Dean like crazy and she couldn't wait to see him again.

"I miss you." The statement was quiet and very uncharacteristic for Dean but it said a lot. They'd been friends for years but since she'd joined he and Sam, something between them had changed. Now that she was in New York and he was in Michigan, he missed her more than he had when she'd been in Tree Hill and he and Sam had been hunting things.

"I miss you, too." Tears filled her eyes and she quickly brushed them away. She didn't know why she was crying. She'd cried when she left Tree Hill but everyone she'd left had been like family. While John considered her a daughter, it shouldn't have been this hard to be away from Dean for eight days. She hadn't cried any other time that they'd been apart.

"I'll call you later."

"Okay, I really have to go."

"Bye."

"Bye." She smiled and hung up.

* * *

Dean rang the doorbell at the Miller house and waited for someone to answer. "This has got to be a whole new low for us," Sam said, looking down at the minister suit that he and Dean were wearing. Dean smiled as Jim's brother opened the door.

"Good afternoon. I'm Father Simmons, this is Father Frehley. We're new junior priests over at St. Augustine's. May we come in?" He nodded and they came in. "Thanks."

"We're very sorry for your loss," Sam said as Jim's brother closed the door.

"It's in difficult times like these when the Lord's guidance is most needed," Dean said.

"Look, if you want to pitch your whole Lord-has-a-plan thing, fine, but don't pitch it to me. My brother is dead." Jim's wife came into the hallway and overheard them.

"Roger, please." Roger excused himself and left.

"I'm sorry about my brother-in-law. He's just so upset about Jim's death. Would you like some coffee?"

"That'd be great," Dean answered.

Sam and Dean were sitting on the living room couch and Ms. Miller handed them two cups of coffee. "It was wonderful of you to stop by. The support of the church means so much right now."

"Of course. After all, we are all God's children." Sam looked at him strangely as Ms. Miller walked away. When she left, Dean took a mini hot dog from a platter and ate it as Sam scoffed. "What?"

"Just tone it down a little bit, Father." Ms. Miller returned and sat down next to Dean.

"So, Ms. Miller, did your husband have a history of depression?" Dean asked.

"Nothing like that. We had our ups and downs, like everyone but we were happy. I just don't understand how Jim could do something like that."

"I'm so sorry you found him like that," Sam said.

"Actually, our son, Max, was the one who found him." She pointed to a teenage boy sitting alone in the corner of another room.

"Do you mind if maybe I go talk to him?" Sam asked.

"Oh, thank you, Father." Sam smiled then walked over to Max in the dining room.

"Max? Hey, I'm Sam."

* * *

Back in the living room, Dean handed Ms. Miller a tissue. "Ms. Miller, you have a lovely home. How long have you lived here?"

"We moved in about five years ago?"

"Hm. You know, the only problem with these old houses-I bet you have all kinds of headaches."

"Like what?"

"Well, weird leaks. Electrical shortages. Odd settling noises at night, that kind of thing."

"No, nothing like that. It's been perfect." She smiled.

"Hm. May I use your restroom?"

"Oh, sure. It's just up the stairs."

"Okay."

* * *

In the dining room, Sam was talking with Max. "So, what was your dad like?"

"Just a normal dad."

"Yeah? And you live at home now?"

"Yeah. I'm tryin' to save up for school but it's hard."

"So, when you found your dad . . . "

"I woke up. I heard the engine running. I don't know why he did it."

"I know it's rough. Losing a parent. Especially when you don't have all the answers." Max didn't say anything.

* * *

Upstairs, Dean was looking around to make sure no one was there. He removed an infrared thermal scanner from his jacket and turned it on. He checked every room but didn't see anything unusual. He heard someone coming up the stairs and quickly put the scanner away.

"Anything?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head.

"Zip."

* * *

"Haley." Haley didn't respond, her mind miles away, on Dean and Sam. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She'd never missed anyone this much and it didn't make sense because she and Dean weren't anything except friends. "Haley."

She still didn't respond and a tear slipped down her cheek. A warm hand on her shoulder finally pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up at Chris. "Haley, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Chris looked at her skeptically.

"Haley, I spent an entire summer with you on a tour bus and you never once cried when you were fine. Tell me what's going on." Haley sighed as Chris sat down beside her. He had a point and maybe if she talked to someone besides Sam she could understand why she was feeling this way.

"Okay, do you remember the guys I was telling you about?"

"The ones you're road-tripping with?"

"Yeah. The oldest one, Dean, and I have always been close. When I told him I was coming here for a few days he got really upset and wouldn't talk to me which is very unusual for him. We talked and got everything straightened out but when I talked to him earlier, it was weird."

"How was it weird?"

"I mean, it started out fine and then he asked when I would be back and it got really emotional. Dean's not really an emotional guy. It takes a lot for him to show how he's feeling."

"Are you in love with him?"

"Why do people always think that? Dean and I are just friends. It's bad enough Sam teases us about it all the time. I don't need you doing it too. And no, I'm not in love with him. I love him, yes, but as a friend. That's all we are, really good friends." Chris smiled and Haley groaned, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I think there's something between you two."

"That doesn't make sense. We've been friends for years. Why would it change now?"

"You're together all the time, you're talking more. I don't know, Haley. I'm not an expert on relationships."

"That's the truth." Chris nodded before realizing what Haley had said.

"Hey, I resent that."

"You said it yourself. I was just agreeing with you."

"You're not supposed to agree with me." He tickled her and she giggled, trying to get away from him.

"Chris, stop." She tried to get away and ended up falling off the couch, causing Chris to laugh. She joined in and soon the two of them were engaged in an all-out tickle war, forgetting about everything else for the moment.

* * *

In their motel room, Dean was sitting on the bed, cleaning all of his weapons. "So, what do you have?"

"A whole lot of nothing. Nothing bad has happened to the Miller house since it was built," Sam answered.

"What about the land?"

"No graveyards, battlefields, tribal lands, or any other kind of atrocity on or near the property."

"Hey, man, I told you, I searched that house up and down. There were no cold spots, no sulfur scent, nada."

"And the family said everything was normal?"

"Well, I mean, if there was a demon or poltergeist in there don't you think somebody would've noticed something? I used the infrared thermal scanner, man, there was nothing."

"So, what, you think Jim Miller killed himself? And my dream was just some sort of freakish coincidence?"

"I don't know. But I'm pretty sure that there's nothing supernatural about that house."

"Yeah." Sam grimaced and started massaging his temples. "Well, you know, maybe, uh-maybe it has nothing to do with the house. Maybe, it's just, uh-gosh-maybe it's connected to Jim in some other way." He clutched his head in pain.

"What's wrong with you?" Dean asked, his voice laced with concern. Sam inhaled sharply and fell to his knees on the floor.

"Yeah, my head!" He screamed in pain and Dean rushed over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Sam? Hey. Hey! What's goin' on? Talk to me." Sam looked at Dean horrified

_Roger Miller entered his kitchen with a bag of groceries and set it on the counter. He opened a beer and drank from it, his back turned away from the door. A dark figure walked past the door, unnoticed. The window on the opposite wall opened and when Roger felt the draft, he turned around._

_He closed the window and locked it then turned back to the bag of groceries. While he was putting them away, the window unlocked itself and opened again. Roger, confused, walked back to it and tried to shut it but it didn't budge. He stuck his head out the window and looked up. Suddenly, the window slammed shut and there was a large amount of blood splattered on the glass._

Sam, gasping and sweating, looked at his brother, terrified. "It's happening again. Something's gonna kill Roger Miller," he said, his voice holding an edge of panic.

* * *

Dean was driving as Sam spoke to someone on the phone. "Roger Miller. No, no, just the address, please. Okay. Thanks." He hung up. "450 West Grove, Apartment 1120." Dean nodded.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"If you're gonna hurl, I'll pull the car over, you know, cause the upholstery . . . "

"I'm fine."

"Alright."

"Just drive."

"Alright." Sam sighed.

"Dean, I'm scared, man. These nightmares weren't bad enough. Now I'm seein' things when I'm awake? And these visions, or whatever, they're getting more intense. And painful."

"Come on, man, it'll be alright. You'll be fine."

"What is it about the Millers? Why am I connected to them? Why am I watching them die? Why the hell is this happening to me?"

"I don't know, Sam, but we'll figure it out, okay? We face the unexplainable every single day. This is just another thing."

"No. It's never been us. It's never been in the family like this. Tell the truth. You can't tell me this doesn't freak you out." Dean paused.

"This doesn't freak me out."

Roger was walking down the street with a bag of groceries when Sam and Dean pulled up beside him. "Hey, Roger!" Sam called.

"Hey, hold up a second," Dean said.

"What are you guys, missionaries? Leave me alone."

"Please!" They pulled over and stopped the car, getting out. They ran toward the apartment building where Roger was entering. "Hey, Roger, we're tryin' to help! Please! Hey!" Roger shut the front door and locked it.

"I don't want your help," Roger said as walked away.

"We're not priests! You've gotta listen to us!" Sam said.

"Roger, you're in danger!" Dean warned. Roger didn't come back and Sam and Dean looked around. "Come on! Come on, come on!" They left and ran into an alley. They ran to the side of the building which was blocked by a gate. Dean kicked it down and they ran down the narrow alley.

They reached the fire escape and began climbing countless flights of stairs. A minute later, they heard a crashing noise. The climbed one more flight and reached Roger's window which was covered with blood. Dean and Sam looked at in disbelief.

Flustered, Dean took a few rags out of his pocket and handed one to Sam who looked sick to his stomach. "Here, start wiping down your finger prints. We don't want the cops to know we were here. Go, go, come on." Sam took the rag and started wiping off the railing of the fire escape. "I'm gonna take a look inside." Dean opened another nearby window and climbed in. Sam glanced at the bloodstained window and cringed.

"I'm tellin' you, there was nothing in there. There's no signs either, just like the Miller's house," Dean said as they walked back to the car.

"I saw something in the vision, like a dark shape. Something was stalking Roger."

"Well, whatever it was, we can be sure it's not connected to their house."

"No, it's connected to the family itself. So, what do you think we got? A vengeful spirit?" The stopped at the car and got in.

"Yeah, there's a few that have been known to latch onto families, follow 'em for years."

"Banshees."

"Basically like a curse. So, maybe Roger and Jim Miller got involved in something heavy. Something curse-worthy," Dean said.

"And now something's out for revenge. And the men in their family are dying. Hey, you think Max is in danger?"

"Let's figure it out before he is." Dean started the car.

"Well, I know one thing I have in common with these people."

"What's that?"

"Both of our families are cursed."

"Our family's not cursed. We just . . . had our dark spots." Sam laughed.

"Our dark spots are pretty dark."

"You're . . . dark."

* * *

Sam and Dean were in the Miller living room, dressed as ministers again, talking to Max. "My mom's resting. She's pretty wrecked," Max said.

"Of course," Dean said.

"All these people kept coming with casseroles. I finally had to tell them all to go away." He gestured to the dining room table that was covered with trays of casserole. "You know, cause nothing says "I'm sorry" like a tuna casserole." They laughed and Max motioned for them to sit down.

"How you holdin' up?" Sam asked.

"I'm okay."

"Your dad and your uncle were close?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, they were brothers. They used to hang out all the time when I was little."

"But not much lately?" Sam asked.

"No, it's not that. It's just-we used to be neighbors when I was a kid. And we lived across town in this house and Uncle Roger lived next door so he was over all the time."

"Right. So, how was it in your house when you were a kid?"

"It was fine. Why?"

"All good memories? Do you remember anything unusual? Something involving your father and your uncle, maybe?" Dean asked.

"What do you-why do you ask?" Max questioned.

"Just a question," Dean answered.

"No, there was nothing. We were totally normal. Happy."

"Good. That's good. Well, you must be exhausted. We should take off," Dean said.

"Right. Thanks," Sam said.

"Yeah."

"Nobody's family is totally normal and happy. Did you see when he was talkin' about his old house?" Dean asked as they walked back to the car.

"Sounded scared," Sam said. Dean nodded.

"Yeah, Max isn't tellin' us everything. I say we go find the old neighborhood and find out what life was really like at the Miller's."

* * *

"This one happened while you were awake?" Haley questioned as she scribbled in her notebook.

"Yeah. We couldn't stop this one either."

"Sam, I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I just don't know why I'm seeing these things if I can't stop them. It's so damn frustrating."

"You'll figure it out. I know you will."

"It doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense. There's no connection between the two murders except for the fact that they were related."

"And you didn't find anything in the house or the apartment?"

"Not the house they live in now. We're going to check out their old house later." Haley nodded, there had to be something they were missing.

"That makes sense. I hate to bring this up but what if you don't find anything at their old house?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe you're searching too hard."

"What do you mean?"

"When you were younger did you ever lose a favorite shirt or a movie or something like that?"

"Yeah." Sam was curious to find out where Haley was going with this.

"You would always tear the house apart to find it and then you finally stopped looking and you found it." Sam nodded it made sense there was only problem with Haley's reasoning.

"We can't stop searching. If we do, someone else could die. This is driving me crazy. It's like I'm about to find the answer but it keeps moving on me." Haley smiled, that's how she'd felt in Tree Hill. Now she missed it like crazy but she was finding herself and that was what she needed more than anything.

"You'll get it. Just breathe. I know you, Sam. You get too worked up and then you lose control and everything falls apart. You can't do that now. You can't afford a mistake a like that." He nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing as he listened to her talk.

"How did Dean and I do this before you joined us?" Haley laughed and shook her head.

"I don't know. I guess you relied on Dean's experience and your college skills." Sam smiled, Haley fit right into their family and it was like she'd always been with them.

"What do you bring to the mix?" Haley laughed as she continued scribbling in her notebook.

"I'm not sure. Share with me?"

"A new way of thinking, incredible fighting skills, you're a match for both me and Dean, unmatched brilliance. You're an incredible girl, Haley, and you've got a lot of great qualities." Haley smiled, ignoring the feelings that swept through her at the mention of Dean.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you want to talk to Dean?" She hesitated long enough for Sam to wonder if she was still on the line. "Haley?"

"No, I don't want to distract you guys." Sam shook his head, confused by Haley's sudden change in attitude. Earlier, she had jumped at the chance to talk to Dean.

"Haley, you could never distract us. You know that."

"I know. Look, it's just not a good idea. Things are complicated right now and I just don't think talking to Dean right now is the best thing to do. You need to focus and if our conversation is anything like the one we had earlier, he won't be able to concentrate and that could be bad for everyone involved." Sam nodded, wondering what Haley and Dean had talked about.

"Did something happen?"

"Not exactly. It was just really emotional and I think it would be best if I didn't talk to Dean right now."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Haley smiled, she should have known she wouldn't be able to get away with not telling Sam what was going on.

"I don't even know if it is something."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't want to make you late for anything."

"We're not leaving for another couple of hours." Haley nodded and decided to take the only chance she had at a real conversation.

"Dean and I have been friends for years and I didn't really notice anything different between us until I told you guys that I was coming to New York and he got upset."

"What changed?" Haley shook her head, that was what she couldn't figure out.

"I don't know. I mean, yeah obviously we spent more time together and we slept in the same bed but I didn't notice anything different."

"So, do you have feelings for him?"

"I don't know. That's what's so damn confusing. I mean, for so long he's been my best friend. The one I could talk to about anything. I had the same relationship with him that I have with Lucas and then I join him on this demon hunting road trip and suddenly everything changes. It doesn't make sense and it's confusing the hell out of me."

"Maybe these feelings have always been there."

"Then why am I just now feeling them?" Sam shook his head, he didn't know what to tell Haley. He'd only been in one serious relationship and he didn't know exactly when he had fallen in love with Jess, it had just happened.

"I don't know. I've only been in one serious relationship and I can't pinpoint when I fell in love."

"How serious were you?" Sam sighed and for the first time in months, tears came to his eyes when he thought about Jess.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else."

"I promise and you know you can trust me."

"I was going to ask her to marry me. I'd been looking at rings and I had one picked out that I was getting ready to buy." Haley breathed in sharply as her own eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, God, Sam."

"I don't think about it a lot anymore but when I do, I wonder if we would have been happy, if we would have had children. What would our kids have been like? What kind of dad would I have been? Would I have still lost Jess the same way?" Haley smiled, that was the kind of love she wanted. The same kind of love that Nathan and Peyton had.

"You would have been happy. Your kids would have been great and you would have been an excellent dad." She didn't answer the last question, no one could. There was no way of knowing if Jess would have died the same way if they'd gotten married.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to. Dean isn't big on stuff like this. Why weren't we friends before?" Haley laughed, she'd wondered the same thing since joining the brothers.

"You were busy with college and I only visited Kansas a few times." Sam nodded, sometimes he regretted cutting Dean and his dad out of his life but he hadn't wanted to spend his life hunting demons.

"You and Jess would have gotten along really well."

"Yeah, you really miss her don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. Sometimes I'll wake up and for a few moments it's like she's still alive, laying beside me, and then I hear Dean moving around and I remember that she's not."

"I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone I love."

"I hope you never have to find out." Haley heard the sadness in his voice and wished she could be there to hug him.

"Hey, Sam? I have to go but you'll be okay."

"I know, thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"You'll figure everything out." Haley sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I hope so. Thanks for listening to me."

"Anytime. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up just as Chris came into the room.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's go wow these people." Haley smiled and took his hand as she stood up.

* * *

Dean and Sam were at a neighbor's house in the Miller's previous neighborhood. "Have you lived in the neighborhood very long?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, almost twenty years now. It's nice and quiet. Why, you lookin' to buy?"

"No, no, actually, we were just wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street, I believe."

"Yeah, the Millers. They had a little boy named, Max," Dean said.

"Right," Sam agreed. The man looked sad as he spoke again.

"Yeah, I remember. The brother had the place next door." He pointed to the house across the street. "So, uh, what's this about? That poor kid okay?"

"What do you mean?" Sam questioned.

"Well, in my life, I've never seen a child treated like that. I mean, I'd hear Mr. Miller yellin' and throwin' things clear across the street. He was a mean drunk. He used to beat the tar out of Max. Bruises-broke his arm two times that I know of."

"And this was going on regularly?" Sam asked.

"Practically every day." Sam looked disgusted. "In fact, that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy, but the worst part was the stepmother. She'd just stand there, checked out, never lifted a finger to protect him. I must have called the police seven or eight times, never did any good."

"Now, you said stepmother," Dean said.

"I think his real mom died. Some sort of accident-a car accident, I think. Are you okay, there?" Sam was clutching his head and breathing sharply.

"Yeah," he answered, pain lacing his voice.

"Thanks for your time," Dean said.

"Yeah, thank you." Dean helped Sam back to the car and Sam stopped and stared, looking terrified.

_In the Miller's kitchen, Ms. Miller was chopping vegetables quickly. "I don't know what you mean by that. You know I never did anything."_

"_That's right. You didn't do anything. You didn't stop them, not once!" Max said. The knife on the cutting board began to move and then levitated in the air._

"_How did you . . . " The knife flew through the air toward her and she pinned herself against the wall. The knife pointed itself directly at her eye, barely a centimeter away. "Max, please!"_

"_For every time you stood there and watched. Pretending it wasn't happening!"_

"_I'm sorry!"_

"_No, you're not. You just don't want to die." The knife moved backward then flew straight toward Ms. Miller. Blood sprayed on the wall and Max stood there, shocked._

"Max is doing it. Everything I've been seeing," Sam said.

"You sure about this?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I saw."

"How's he pullin' it off?"

"I don't know. It looked like telekinesis."

"So, he's psychic? He's a spoon-bender?"

"I didn't even realize it, but this whole time, he was there. He was outside of the garage when his dad died, he was in the apartment when his uncle died. These visions, this whole time, I wasn't connecting to the Millers, I was connecting to Max. The thing I don't get is why, man? I guess because we're so alike?"

"What are you talking about? The dude's nothing like you."

"Well, we both have psychic abilities. We're both . . . "

"Both what? Sam, Max is a monster. He's already killed two people and now he's gunnin' for a third."

"Well, with what he went through-the beatings. To want revenge on these people, I'm sorry, man, I hate to say it, but it's not that insane."

"Yeah, but it doesn't justify murdering your entire family."

"Dean . . . "

"He's no different than anything else we've hunted. Alright, we've gotta end him." Dean pulled the car over and shut it off.

"We're not going to kill Max," Sam said.

"Then what? I hand him over to the cops and say, "Lock him up, officer, he kills with the power of his mind."

"Forget it. No way, man."

"Sam . . . "

"Dean. He's a person. We can talk to him. Hey, promise me you'll follow my lead on this one." Dean paused.

"Alright, fine. But I'm not lettin' him hurt anybody else." He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a gun.

* * *

Ms. Miller was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and crying. "You know I never did anything."

"That's right. You didn't do anything." The knife began to rattle on the cutting board. "You didn't stop them, not once!" Dean and Sam burst through the kitchen door and the knife stopped moving.

"Fathers?" Ms. Miller questioned.

"What are you doing here?" Max asked.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Dean said.

"Max, could we, uh-could we talk outside for just one second?"

"About what?"

"It's-it's private. I wouldn't want to bother your mother with it. We won't be long at all, though. I promise." Max glanced at his stepmother.

"Okay."

"Great." Max walked to Sam and Dean and Dean opened the front door. Max glanced in the mirror by the door and saw the gun sticking out of Dean's jeans. The door suddenly slammed shut along with all the windows.

"You're not priests!" Dean took out the gun and pointed it at Max but he used telekinesis to grab the gun from Dean. It dropped on the floor and Max picked it up. He pointed it at Sam and Dean.

"Max, what's happening?" Ms. Miller asked.

"Shut up!"

"What are you doing!" Max jerked his head and Ms. Miller was flung into the kitchen counter.

"I said shut up!"

"Max, calm down!" Sam said.

"Who are you?"

"We just wanna talk to you."

"Yeah, right, that's why you brought this!"

"That was a mistake, alright? So was lying about who we were but no more lying, Max, okay? Just, please-just hear me out."

"About what?"

"I saw you do it. I saw you kill your dad and your uncle before it happened."

"What?"

"I'm having visions, Max. About you."

"You're crazy."

"So, you weren't gonna launch a knife at your stepmom?" Sam pointed to his eye. "Right here? Is it that hard to believe, Max? Look what you can do. Max, I was drawn here, alright? I think I'm here to help you."

"No one can help me!"

"Let me try. We'll just talk. Me and you. We'll get Dean and Alice out of here."

"Nuh-uh. No way." Sam held up his index finger and the light fixture above them started to shake.

"Nobody leaves this house!" Max said.

"And nobody has to, alright? They'll just-they'll go upstairs."

"Sam, I'm not leavin' you alone with him," Dean said.

"Yes, you are. Look, Max, you're in charge here, alright? We all know that. No one's gonna do anything that you don't want to, but I'm talkin' five minutes here, man."

"Sam," Dean said. Sam held up his finger again.

"Five minutes," Max agreed. The light fixture stopped shaking. "Go." Dean moved to the kitchen and shook Ms. Miller awake. She groaned and Dean picked her up.

Max and Sam were sitting on couches in the living room, facing each other. Max moved a letter opener so that it was standing upright. "Look, I can't begin to understand what you went through," Sam said.

"That's right, you can't."

"Max, this has to stop."

"It will. After my stepmother."

"No. You need to let her go."

"Why?" The letter opener began to spin on its tip.

"Did she beat you?"

"No, but she never tried to save me. She's a part of it, too."

"Look, what they did to you, what they all did to you, growing up-they deserve to be punished."

"Growing up? Try last week." He stood up and raised his shirt, revealing a large bruise on his stomach and ribs along with multiple cuts. "My dad still hit me, just in places people wouldn't see it. Old habits die hard, I guess." He sat back down. Sam was stunned.

"I'm sorry."

"When I first found out I could move things, it was a gift. My whole life I was helpless, but now I had this. So, last week, Dad gets drunk-first time in a long time. And he beats me to hell-first time in a long time. And then I knew what I had to do."

"Why didn't you leave?" The letter opener fell over and Sam jumped.

"It wasn't about getting away, just knowing that they'd still be out there. It was not about being afraid. When my dad used to look at me, there was hate in his eyes. Do you know what that feels like?"

"No," Sam answered softly.

"He blamed me for everything. For his job, for his life, for my mom's death."

"Why would he blame you for your mom's death?"

"Because she died in my nursery. While I was asleep in my crib." Sam's eyes widened. "As if that makes it my fault."

"She died in your nursery?"

"Yeah. There was a fire. He'd get drunk and babble on like she died in some insane way. He said that she burned up. Pinned to the ceiling." Sam looked shocked.

"Listen to me, Max. What your dad said about what happened to your mom, it's real."

"What?"

"It happened to my mom, too. Exactly the same-my nursery, my crib. My dad saw her on the ceiling."

"Then your dad must have been as drunk as mine."

"No. No, it's the same thing, Max. The same thing killed our mothers."

"That's not possible."

"This must be why I've been having visions during the day. Why they're getting more intense. Cause you and I must be connected in some way. Your abilities, they started six, seven months ago, right? Out of the blue?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Because that's when my abilities started, Max. I mean, your's seem to be much further along, but still, this-this means something, right? I mean, for some reason, you and I-you and I were chosen."

"For what?"

"I don't know. Dean and I-my brother and I, we're hunting for your mom's killer. And we can find answers. Answers that can help us both, but you gotta let us go. You gotta let your stepmother go." Max looked thoughtful for a moment but his expression turned cold again and he shook his head.

"No. What they did to me-I still have nightmares! I'm still scared all the time, like I'm just waiting for their next beating. I'm just tired of being scared. If I do this, it'll be over." He got up and started walking toward the stairs, but Sam ran in front of him.

"No, don't you get it? It won't. The nightmares won't end, Max, not like this. It's just more pain. And it makes you as bad as them. Max, you don't have to go through all this by yourself." Max stared at him for a moment.

"I'm sorry." Sam got flung into a closet and the doors shut.

"No!" Max used his abilities to move a large cupboard in front of the closet. "No, Max! No! Max!" Max walked to the stairs.

* * *

In the bedroom upstairs, Dean was kneeling next to Ms. Miller, holding a washcloth to her head. The bedroom door opened on its own and Max entered, closing the door behind him. Dean started to walk toward Max but was thrown into a wall. He fell to the ground and Max pulled out the gun. "Max!" Ms. Miller said.

Max let go of the gun and it hovered in the air. "No. Max." Dean started to move but the gun moved with him.

"Stay back. It's not about you," Max warned.

"If you wanna kill her, you gotta go through me first," Dean said.

"Okay." The trigger was pulled and Dean was shot through the head. The wall behind him was covered in blood and he collapsed to the floor.

Sam was sweating heavily and leaning against the wall of the closet in pain. "No! No!" Outside, the cupboard moved away from the closet. Inside, Sam looked confused and cautiously pushed the door open.

* * *

In the bedroom, Max had the gun in the air, pointed at his stepmother. "Max," Ms. Miller said. Dean stepped forward but the gun pointed at him.

"Stay back. It's not about you."

"If you wanna kill her, you gotta go through me first." Max smiled coldly.

"Okay." He was about to pull the trigger when Sam burst through the door.

"No, don't! Please. Please, Max. Max, we can help you, alright? But this-what you're doing-it's no the solution. It's not gonna fix anything." Max stared at him for a moment.

"You're right." Sam smiled slightly. Suddenly, Max pointed the gun toward himself and shot himself in the head. He fell to the ground.

"No!" Dean, Sam, and Ms. Miller looked stunned.

* * *

Police officers were investigating the house and Ms. Miller was talking to a cop in the living room. "Max attacked me. He threatened me with a gun."

"And these two?" the police officer asked, gesturing toward Sam and Dean.

"They're . . . family friends. I called them as soon as Max arrived, I was scared. They tried to stop him. They fought for the gun."

"Where did Max get the gun?"

"I don't know! He showed up with it, and . . . "

"It's alright, Ms. Miller."

"I've lost everyone." The police officer turned to Sam and Dean.

"Okay. We'll give you a call if we have any further questions."

"Thanks, officer," Dean said. He turned to Sam. "Come on."

Sam shook his head as he and Dean walked back to the car. "If I just said somethin' else. Gotten through to him somehow."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Torture yourself. It wouldn't have mattered what you said, Max was too far gone."

"When I think about how he looked at me, man, right before-should've done something."

"Come on, man, you risked your life. I mean, yeah, maybe if we'd gotten there twenty years earlier." They stopped at the car.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing-we're lucky we had Dad." Dean looked at his brother in surprise.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Well, he could've gone a whole other way after Mom. A little more tequila, a little less demon-hunting, and we would've had Max's childhood. All things considered, we turned out okay-thanks to him." Dean paused.

"All things considered." He got in the car.

* * *

Sam and Dean were in their motel room, getting ready to leave. "Dean, I've been thinking."

"Well, that's never a good thing."

"I'm serious. I've been thinking-why would this demon, or whatever it is, why would it kill Mom and Jess and Max's mother, you know, what does it want?"

"No idea."

"Well, you think maybe it was after us? After Max and me?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I mean, either telekinesis or premonitions, we both had abilities, you know? Maybe it was after us for some reason."

"Sam, if it wanted you, it would've just taken you, okay? This is not your fault. It's not about you."

"Then what is it about?"

"It's about that damn thing that did this to our family. The thing that we're gonna find, the thing that we're gonna kill. And that's all."

"Actually, there's, uh, there's somethin' else too."

"Oh, jeez, what?"

"When Max locked me in that closet, that big cabinet against the door, I moved it." Dean laughed.

"You've got a little bit more upper body strength than I give you credit for."

"No, man, I moved it-like Max."

"Oh. Right."

"Yeah." Dean grabbed a spoon and held it up.

"Bend this."

"I can't turn it on and off, Dean."

"Well, how'd you do it?"

"I don't know, I can't control it. I saw you die and it just came out of me, like a punch. You know, like a freak adrenaline thing." Dean put the spoon down.

"Well, I'm sure it won't happen again."

"Yeah, maybe. Aren't you worried, man, aren't you worried that I could turn into Max or something?"

"Nope. No way. You know why?"

"No. Why?"

"Cause you've got one advantage that Max didn't have."

"Dad? Because Dad's not here, Dean."

"No. Me." He smiled. "As long as I'm around, nothing bad is going to happen to you. Now then, I know what we need to about your premonitions. I know where we have to go."

"Where?"

"Vegas." Dean smiled and Sam scoffed as he went outside to the car. "What? Come on, man. Craps table. We'd clean up." He smiled and grabbed his bag then shut off the light in the motel room and closed the door.


	6. Something New

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Eric Kripke and Mark Schwahn.

Author's Note: Okay, so I know I promised quicker updates but my cousin just had twins and I since I live the closest to her, guess who the first one is to get drafted for baby-sitting duty. I'll do the best I can though.

You Found Me: Chapter Six

Hibbing, Minnesota

A young boy was watching t.v. in his bedroom. He heard a noise outside and looked out the window. A man was walking in a parking lot with two bags of garbage in his hands. He threw them in the dumpster and started walking toward his car. He heard the same screeching noise and stopped.

He got down on his knees and looked under the car. He saw something that horrified him and stood up quickly. An invisible force pulled him back to the ground, on his stomach. He was dragged under the car, screaming, until he was gone. The boy looked frightened and shut the curtains.

* * *

In the living room, Dean and Sam were dressed as sheriffs, talking to the boy and his mother. "I know you're just doing your job but the police have been here all week already. I don't see why we have to go through this again. The more he tells the story, the more he believes it's true," the woman said.

"Mrs. McKay, we know you spoke with the local authorities," Sam said.

"But, uh, this seems like a matter for the state police, so . . . " Dean trailed off.

"Don't worry about how crazy it sounds, Evan. You just tell us what you saw," Sam said.

"I was up late, watching tv when I heard this weird noise."

"What did it sound like?" Sam asked.

"It sounded like . . . a monster." Dean and Sam exchanged a look.

"Tell the officers what you were watching on tv," Mrs. McKay said.

"Godzilla vs. Mothra." Dean smiled and spoke excitedly.

"That's my favorite Godzilla movie. It's so much better than the original, huh?"

"Totally."

"Yeah." Dean nodded toward Sam. "He likes the remake."

"Yuck!" Sam glared at Dean and cleared his throat and Dean stopped.

"Evan, did you see what this thing was?" Sam asked.

"No, but I saw it grab Mr. Jenkins. It pulled him underneath the car."

"Then what?" Sam questioned.

"It took him away. I heard the monster leaving. It made this really scary sound."

"What did it sound like, Evan?" Sam asked.

"Like this . . . whining growl." Sam and Dean exchanged another look.

"Thanks for your time," Sam said.

* * *

Sam and Haley were sitting at a table in Kugel's Keg having a beer and looking at research while Dean threw darts. "So, local police have now ruled out foul play. Apparently, there are worse signs of a struggle," Sam said.

"Well, they could be right. It could just be a kidnapping. Maybe this isn't our kind of gig."

"Yeah, maybe not. Except for this, Dad marked the area, Dean." Dean came over to the table and looked at their father's journal. "Possible hunting grounds of a phantom attacker."

"Why would he even do that?"

"Well, he found a lot of local folklore about a dark figure that comes out at night. Grabs people, then vanishes. He found this, too-this county has more missing persons per capita than anywhere else in the state," Haley said.

"That is weird."

"Yeah."

"Don't phantom attackers usually snatch people from their beds? Jenkins was taken from a parking lot."

"Well, there are all kinds. You know, Springhill Jacks, phantom gassers. They take people anywhere, anytime. Look, Dean, I don't know if this is our kind of gig either."

"Yeah, you're right, we ask around more tomorrow."

"Right." Sam took out his wallet. "I saw a motel about five miles back."

"Whoa, whoa, easy. Let's have another round," Dean said.

"We really should get an early start," Sam said, looking at Haley, who had laid her head on his shoulder during their conversation.

"Yeah, you really know how to have fun, don't you, Grandma?" Sam smiled. "Alright, I'll meet you outside, I gotta take a leak." He grabbed his coat and headed to the bathroom. Sam gathered his research and turned to Haley.

"You waiting for him?"

"No, I'll go with you." Sam laughed and kissed the top of her head as they left.

* * *

Sam and Haley were walking back to the car when they heard a noise and stopped. He placed the journal on the hood of the car and took out a flashlight from his coat pocket. He turned it on and looked around then bent down to look under the car. He saw a cat that hissed him then ran away.

"Whoa!" He saw the animal and laughed at himself as he got up.

* * *

Dean came out of the bar and walked to the car. He saw that Haley and Sam were missing but noticed the journal on the hood. Dean opened the car door and checked to see if Haley and Sam were inside but they weren't. He looked around, confused.

A group of friends came out of the bar and Dean walked up to a biker and his girlfriend who were clearly drunk. "Hey, you guys been outside, around here, in the last hour or so?" The shook their heads and walked away. "Sam!" He looked around frantically. "Sammy! Haley!" He turned around and noticed a surveillance camera on top of a streetlight. He walked into the middle of the deserted road and looked around. "Sam. Haley."

* * *

At the Sheriff's Department, a deputy was looking at Dean's fake ID. "So, what can we do for you, Officer Washington?"

"I'm working a missing persons."

"I didn't know the Jenkins case was being covered by the state police."

"Oh, no. No, there's someone else. Actually, it's my cousin and one of our friends. We were havin' a few last night at this bar down by the highway. I haven't seen them since."

"Does your cousin have a drinking problem?"

"Sam? Two beers and he's doin' karaoke. Haley had a soda." The deputy smiled. "No, he wasn't drunk. He was taken." The deputy nodded and sat down at her computer. Dean followed her and sat also.

"Alright. What's are their names?"

"Winchester. Sam Winchester and Haley James."

"Like the rifle?"

"Like the rifle." She typed Sam's name in the computer and brought up his police record. She observed the page then clicked on Dean's link and brought up his record.

"Samuel Winchester. So, you know that he had a brother, Dean Winchester, that died in St. Louis and was suspected of murder?" Dean tried to look nonchalant.

"Yeah, Dean. Kind of the black sheep of the family. Handsome, though."

"Uh-huh." She typed something else and brought up more search results. "Well, they're not showing up in any current field reports."

"Oh, I already have a lead. I saw a surveillance camera by the highway."

"Uh-huh. The county traffic cam?"

"Right. Yeah. I'm thinking the camera picked up whatever took them. Or, whoever."

"Well, I have access to the traffic cam footage down at the county works department, but-well, anyhow, let's do this right away." She stood up and got some paperwork from a filing cabinet. "Why don't you fill out a missing persons report and sit tight over here?" She handed him a clipboard.

"Officer, look, uh, they're family. I kind of-I kind of look out for them. You gotta let me go with you."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that."

"Well, tell me something. Your county has its fair share of missing persons. Any of 'em come back?" The deputy looked at him sadly. "Sam and Haley are my responsibility and they're comin' back. I'm bringin' them back."

* * *

In an unknown location, Sam and Haley were asleep in a cage. Sam jerked awake and observed his surroundings. He rattled the bars of the cage and looked around, noticing Haley in the same cage as him and Jenkins in the next cage.

* * *

Dean was sitting on a bench outside the County Works Department when the deputy came up behind him, holding printouts of the camera footage. "Greg." He saw her and stood up. "I think we've got something." She handed him the printouts and he looked through them. "These traffic cams take an image every three seconds as part of the Amber Alert program. These images were all taken around the time that Haley and Sam disappeared."

"This isn't really what I'm looking for."

"Just, wait, wait-next one." He turned a page and saw an image of a rusty truck driving. "This one was taken right after Sam and Haley left the bar. Look at the back end of that thing. Now, look at the plates." Dean turned another page and saw a close-up image of the truck's license plates.

"Oh, the plates look new. It's probably stolen."

"So, whoever's driving that rust bucket must be involved." A beat-up van drove by and its engine was whining loudly.

"Hear that engine?"

"Yeah."

"Kind of a whining growl, isn't it?"

"Sure." Dean stared at the van as it drove away.

"I'll be damned," Dean said to himself.

* * *

Sam was trying to kick down the doors of his cage but he failed. Jenkins woke up and groaned. Sam rushed over to talk to him through the bars of their cages. "You're alive." Jenkins groaned again. "Hey, you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm doin' okay?"

"Where are we?"

"I don't know. The country, I think. Smells like the country."

"You're Alvin Jenkins, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Sam sighed.

"I was lookin' for ya."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, no offense, but this is a piss-poor excuse."

"Well, my brother's out there right now, too. He's lookin' for us. So . . . "

"So, he's not gonna find us. We're in the middle of nowhere." Jenkins nodded toward the door leading into the building. "Waiting for them to come back and do God-knows-what to us." Haley groaned softly and Sam turned to look at her.

"Sam, where are we?"

"I'm not sure. Are you okay?" She nodded as she stood up and walked over to him.

"I'm fine. I'm just really confused."

"We all are."

"Mmm, that is not the best way to deal with jet lag." Sam laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"What are they? Have you seen them?"

"What are you talking about?" Jenkins questioned.

"Whatever's got us, what'd they look like?" Sam asked.

"See for yourself."The door to the building opened and two men wearing black coats and hats walked in. One man walked over Jenkins' cage and kicked the side of it. He moved into the corner. The other man went to a pole in the middle of the room. He inserted a key into the panel and twisted it. Jenkins' cage unlocked and the men entered. "Leave me alone! Don't you take me, leave me alone!" The men placed a plate of food in front of him then left the cage and walked over to the panel. One of the men twisted the key again and removed it, locking the cage.

"I'll be damned. They're just people," Sam whispered.

"Yeah. What'd you expect?" Jenkins asked.

"How often do they feed you?"

"Once a day. They use that thing over there to open the cage." Jenkins pointed to the panel.

"And that's the only time you see 'em?"

"So far, but I'm waitin'."

"Waitin' for what?"

"Ned Beatty time, man."

"I think that's the least of your worries right now," Haley said.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"What do you think they want, then?" Jenkins asked. Sam reached through the top of his cage and grabbed a long metal wire stretching from the top of the pole to the ground. He tried to pull it down.

"Depends on who they are."

"They're a bunch of psycho hillbilly rednecks if you ask me. Lookin' for love in all the wrong places." Sam continued to pull at the wire and it gradually started to detach from the pole.

* * *

The deputy pointed to a traffic cam as she and Dean passed it. "Okay, the next traffic cam is fifty miles from here and the pickup didn't pass that one, so . . . "

"So, it must've pulled off somewhere. I didn't see any other roads here."

"Well, a lot of these backwoods properties have their own private roads."

"Great." Dean's voice was slightly annoyed as he spoke. He stared out the window. New information came up on the deputy's computer and she clicked and highlighted the item and brought up a page about Dean's fake ID. She read it and looked concerned.

"So, Gregory." Dean turned to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"I ran your badge number. It's routine when we're working a case with state police. For accounting purposes and what have you."

"Mmmhmm."

"And, uh, they just got back to me." She pulled the car over to the side of the road. "It says here your badge is stolen." Dean looked surprised. "And there's a picture of you." She turned the computer to Dean and he saw a picture of a heavy African-American man.

"I lost some weight. And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease." She took off her seatbelt.

"Okay, would you step out of the car please?"

"Look, look, look." She stopped. "If you want to arrest me, that's fine. I'll cooperate, I swear. But, first, please-let me find Sam and Haley."

"I don't even know who you are. Or if these Sam and Haley people are missing."

"Look into my eyes and tell me if I'm lying about this."

"Identity theft? You're impersonating an officer."

"Look, here's the thing. When we were young, I pretty much pulled him from a fire. And ever since then, I've felt responsible for him and Haley's like my little sister. It's my job to keep them safe. I'm just afraid if we don't find them fast-please." His voice broke. "They're my family."

"I'm sorry. You've given me no choice. I have to take you in." She glanced at her visor and her eye caught a photo of her and another man, smiling. She looked sad and sighed. "After we find Sam Winchester and Haley James." She fastened her seatbelt and Dean looked confused.

* * *

Sam was still trying to pull the metal coil from the beam. "What are you names again?" Jenkins asked.

"I'm Sam and that's Haley."

"Why don't you give it up, Sammy, there's no way out."

"Don't . . . call me . . . Sammy!" He groaned and finally tore the coil down. A small piece of metal fell down also.

"What is it?" Jenkins asked. Sam picked it up and looked at it.

"It's a bracket."

"Well, thank God, a bracket. Now we've got 'em, huh?" Suddenly, Jenkins' cage unlocked itself and opened. "Must've been short." He climbed out of the cage. "Maybe you knocked somethin' loose."

"I think you should get back in there, Jenkins."

"What?"

"This isn't right." Haley said.

"Don't you wanna get out of here?"

"Yeah, but that was too easy."

"Look, I'm gonna get out of here and I'm gonna send help, okay? Don't worry."

"No, I'm serious. Jenkins, this might be a trap," Sam said.

"Bye, Sammy." He pushed open the door and left.

"Jenkins!" Haley placed her hand on his arm, sharing his worry. She couldn't believe that Jenkins had really thought it would be that easy.

"Please tell me he'll be okay." Sam shook his head. He wasn't going to lie to Haley when she knew that he wouldn't be okay.

"Let's just hope he'll be okay."

* * *

On the other side of the door, Jenkins was in another room, similar to the one he had just left. He found an exit and left. In the other room, his cage slammed shut.

Outside, Jenkins was walking around the outside of a rundown house. He found a knife on the ground and picked it up, looking up to the sky. "Thank you." He started running into the woods.

Jenkins continued walking through the woods. He heard a noise and raised his knife then began running in the rain. Before long, a man in camouflage jumped in front of him and knocked him down with a long knife. Jenkins fell to the ground but stuck his own knife in the man's leg. The man stumbled, allowing Jenkins to get up and run.

Jenkins reached a clearing and looked around, lost. Suddenly, another camouflaged man appeared and put his knife through Jenkins' leg then removed it. The second camouflaged man appeared and they both pointed their knives at Jenkins, who was on the ground. He got up and ran while the men watched him and laughed. Jenkins kept running but tripped over a thin wire on the ground. The men caught up to him and raised their knives.

Haley and Sam heard Jenkins screaming and Haley buried her head in Sam's chest as he stroked her hair.

* * *

Dean and the deputy were walking back to the car, holding cups of coffee. "Hey, Officer? Look, I don't mean to press my luck."

"Your luck is so pressed."

"Right. I was wondering-why are you helping me out, anyway? Why don't you just lock me up?"

"My brother, Riley, disappeared three years ago. A lot like Sam and Haley. We searched for him, but-nothing. I know what it's like to feel responsible for someone and for them-come on. Let's keep at it." She got in the car.

"Wait, wait, wait. Pull over here. Pull over," Dean said as they drove by the edge of the forest. The pulled over and got out of the car then walked toward the forest. "It's the first turn-off I've seen so far."

"You stay here. I'll check it out."

"No way."

"Hey." They stopped walking. "You're a civilian. And a felon, I think. I'm not taking you with me."

"You're not goin' without me." The deputy sighed.

"Alright. You promise you won't get involved? You'll let me handle it?"

"Yeah, I promise."

"Shake on it." She extended her hand and Dean shook it. While they were shaking hands, she placed a set of handcuffs on Dean's arm.

"Oh, come on." She handcuffed him to the door then started walking away. "This is ridiculous, Kathleen. I really think you're gonna need my help."

"I'll manage. Thank you." She locked the door and walked away.

"I gotta start carrying paper clips."

* * *

As Kathleen walked along the road, she passed a run down barn along with several wagon wheels strewn along the grass. She walked further and saw a dilapidated house. She made her way to the front porch and climbed the stairs. "Hello? Anybody home?" She knocked on the door and a young girl came outside, covered in dirt and filth. "Hi. Who are you?" The girl came closer and examined Kathleen's badge.

"Who are you?"

"I'm, uh, I'm Kathleen. I'm a deputy. What's your name?"

"Missy."

"Missy. That's a pretty name. Missy, is your mom home?"

"She's dead."

"I'm sorry. What about your dad?" Missy shook her head. "No? Can I come in for a minute?" Missy shook her head again and started moving toward the door. "I just want you to look at a picture." She took a picture of Sam and Haley from her pocket and showed it to Missy. "Have you seen these people? Look at that picture." Missy looked up and saw something behind Kathleen. She smiled wickedly. "What?"

"That's gonna hurt." Kathleen turned around and saw a tall, equally unwashed man standing beside her. He hit her in the head with a shovel and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Missy, sweetheart, go tell your brothers I wanna see 'em."

"Yes, Daddy."

* * *

Dean was looking around for something to unlock the handcuffs. He finally noticed the antenna of the car and reached for it but it was too far away. He heard the screech of the pickup truck. "Oh, son of a bitch." He stretched further.

The pickup truck drove through the woods toward Kathleen's car.

Dean was still reaching for the antenna.

In the woods, the two sons unlocked a gate and started walking.

Dean finally grabbed the antenna and began to unscrew it.

The two brothers were still walking toward the car.

The antenna came loose and fell to the ground. Dean picked it up and began unlocking the handcuffs. The brothers reached the clearing and saw the car. They laughed. "Well, I've never seen him so angry before."

"I've never been followed by the police before." One of the brothers, who now had Kathleen's keys, unlocked the door and got in.

* * *

Kathleen was in a cage, wearing a dirty white T-shirt with her hair down. She woke up and groaned, massaging her head. "Are you alright?" Sam asked.

"Are you Sam Winchester?"

"Yeah."

"Is Haley James with you?"

"I'm right here," Haley answered.

"Your, uh, your cousin's looking for you."

"Thank, God. Where is he?" Sam asked, relief entering his voice.

"I, uh-I cuffed him to my car." Sam sighed and pulled Haley closer to him. The door opened and Dean entered but Kathleen, Sam, and Haley didn't see him. Dean observed the barn, disgusted. He saw Sam and Haley in their cage.

"Sam? Haley?" Both of them smiled. "Are you hurt?"

"No, we're fine," Sam answered, subconsciously stroking Haley's hair.

"Damn, it's good to see you," Dean said.

"How did you get out of the cuffs?" Kathleen questioned. Dean turned around and saw her.

"Oh, I know a trick or two." She stared at him, confused. "Alright." He moved to the door of the cage and saw the locks. "Oh, these locks look like they're gonna be a bitch."

"Well, there's some kind of automatic control right there," Sam said, pointing to the control panel.

"Have you seen 'em?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah. Dude, they're just people."

"And they jumped you? Must be gettin' a little rusty there, kiddo." He walked over to the control panel and started trying different buttons. "What do they want?"

"I don't know. They let Jenkins go, but that was some sort of trap. It doesn't make any sense to me," Sam answered.

"Well, that's the point. You know, with our usual playmates, there's rules, there's patterns. But with people, they're just crazy."

"See anything else out there?" Haley asked.

"Uh, he has about a dozen junked cars hidden out back. Plates from all over so I'm thinkin' when they take someone, they take their car, too."

"Did you see a black Mustang out there? About ten years old?" Kathleen asked.

"Yeah, actually, I did." She looked sad. "Your brother's?" She nodded. "I'm sorry." He paused. "Let's get you guys out of here then we'll take care of those bastards." He pointed to the control panel. "This thing takes a key. Key?"

"I don't know," Sam said.

"Alright, I better go find it." Dean went to leave.

"Hey," Haley called out. Dean stopped and turned around. "Be careful."

"Yeah." Dean left and Haley slipped her hand into Sam's. After their phone conversation the day she'd gotten to New York they'd had several more long talks and the confusion surrounding her and Dean had disappeared.

When she'd met them at the airport three days ago, she'd been glad to see both of them but something had drawn her to Sam. They'd spent a lot of time together and during their conversations while she was in New York, they'd actually gotten closer. "It'll be okay, Haley."

She nodded and rested her head on his chest, needing comfort and finding it in Sam's arms. "God, I hope he doesn't do anything stupid." Sam smiled, he'd been thinking the same thing.

Kathleen also smiled, noticing the way that they were with each other. The two of them made a cute couple.

* * *

Dean was inside the house, in another dark room. He turned on his flashlight and started looking around. The room was filled with shelves of jars and bottles that contained various body parts. Dean looked at a container filled an unrecognizable item.

"Yikes." He kept searching the room and came across a wall full of Polaroid pictures. Each photo showed the two brothers standing next to a dead body. He noticed a picture of them holding Jenkin's corpse. "I'll say it again-demons I get. People are crazy." He moved to a flight of stairs and climbed them.

Upstairs, the father was in the kitchen, butchering something. Dean came upstairs and looked around the living room. He saw a wooden pole leaning against the wall and picked it up the leaned against the wall and made his way toward the kitchen. He noticed a small tray filled with keys on a nearby table and took a peek inside the kitchen.

The father turned around and picked something up and Dean turned away. He moved toward the tray of keys and started to pick it up when he noticed a jar full of teeth. He examined it, disgusted, then heard the floor creak behind him. He set the jar down and turned around quickly to find Missy standing in front of him. "Shh. It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." She held up a knife.

"I know." She stuck the knife into Dean's jacket, pinning him against the wall. "Daddy!"

"Jeez!"

"Daddy!" Dean removed the knife as the two brothers came downstairs. "Daddy!" One of the brothers grabbed Dean under his arms. The other walked toward him but Dean jumped up and kicked him. He stood up and ran toward Dean but Dean grabbed him first and pushed him to the ground. He punched the oldest brother but was thrown against the wall by the one he had pushed. All three of them stood up. Dean pointed to the oldest brother.

"I'm gonna kick your ass first." He pointed to the other one. "Then yours." The father came up behind Dean and hit him over the head with a pan. Dean fell to the floor, unconscious.

The whole family was crowded around Dean, who was sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind his back. He woke up, groaning. "Come on. Let us hunt him," the youngest son said.

"Yeah, this one's a fighter. Sure would be fun to hunt," the oldest agreed. Their father laughed.

"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me. That's what this is about? You yahoos hunt people?" Dean asked.

"You ever killed before?"

"Well, that depends on what you mean."

"I've hunted all my life. Just like my father, his before him. I've hunted deer and bear. I even got a cougar once. But the best hunt is human. Oh, there's nothin' like it. Holdin' their life in your hands. Seein' the fear in their eyes just before they go dark. Makes you feel powerful alive."

"You're a sick puppy."

"We give 'em a weapon. Give 'em a fightin' chance. It's kind of like our tradition passed down, father to son. Of course, only one or two a year. Never enough to bring the law down, we never been that sloppy."

"Yeah, well, don't sell yourself short. You're plenty sloppy."

"So, what, you with that pretty cop? Are you a cop?"

"If I tell you, you promise not to make into an ashtray?" The father looked angry and the youngest son walked over and punched Dean.

"Only reason I don't let my boys take you right here and now is that there's somethin' I need to know." The father walked over the fireplace and picked up a hot poker.

"Yeah, how about it's not nice to marry your sister?"

"Tell me-any of the cops gonna come lookin' for you?"

"Oh, eat me. No, no, no, wait, wait-you actually might." The oldest son walked over to Dean and held his head in place.

"You think this is funny? You brought this down on my family. Alright, you wanna play games? We'll play some games. Looks like we're gonna have a hunt tonight after all, boys. And you get to pick the animal. The boy, the girl, or the cop?"

"Okay, wait, wait-look, nobody's comin' for me, alright? It's just us."

"You don't choose, I will." The father placed the hot poker on Dean's shirt and Dean screamed in pain. The father removed the poker.

"Oh, you son of a bitch!" Dean said. The father placed the poker barely an inch away from Dean's eye.

"Next time, I'll take an eye."

"Alright, the guy, the guy! Take the guy!" The oldest son let go of Dean's head and the father moved the poker. He took a key from around his neck and handed it to the youngest son.

"Lee, go do it. Don't let him get out though. Shoot him in the cage." Lee walked to the door.

"What? I thought you said you were gonna hunt him. You were gonna give him a chance."

"Lee, when you're done with the boy-shoot the bitches, too." Lee nodded and left with his rifle. "Better clean this mess up before any more cops come runnin' out here." Dean looked scared.

* * *

Lee entered the barn and went over to the control panel. He inserted the key and twisted it. "What are you doing?" Sam asked. The door to the cage he and Haley were in unlocked and Lee walked toward them. Sam noticed the bracket on the floor and grabbed it, taking Haley's hand in his free hand. Lee opened the cage door and aimed his gun.

"Hey!" Kathleen yelled.

* * *

In the living room, Dean and the three Benders heard a gunshot. "You hurt my brother or my friend, I'll kill you, I swear. I'll kill you all. I will kill you all!" The father stood up and walked toward the open front door. "Lee."

Sam and Lee were both out of the cage. Sam was on top of Lee. He grabbed the gun and hit Lee in the face with it three times. Lee collapsed on the floor and Sam tried to fire the gun but it didn't work. "Damn."

"Lee!" Lee didn't answer and the father turned to the other three. "Jared, you come with me. Missy, you watch him now." Jared grabbed two rifles, handed one to his father and they both left. Missy remained next to Dean, holding a knife dangerously close to his eye.

Jared and his father entered the barn, guns raised, and looked around. "Lee! Where are ya? Lee!" They found Lee unconscious, locked in Sam and Haley's cage. "Damn it, Jared, get the lights!" Jared moved over to the light switch and pushed it up but the barn remained dark.

"They must have blown the fuses." His father tried the control panel, but it was broken. They moved into another part of the barn. Sam and Haley hid behind a bale of hay. Jared and his father heard a noise. Jared looked around in one area of the room while his father climbed a ladder leading to a balcony.

Kathleen moved to a cabinet, unseen, and opened it, but she heard a noise and stopped it. Jared also heard something. He walked to the cabinet and stood to face it. He fired his rifle at the door several times but Kathleen didn't come out. Jared opened the cabinet and found nothing but tools inside.

He looked around the barn when suddenly Kathleen fell on top of his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wrestled with him before being knocked to the ground.

While that was going on, Jared's father was chasing Sam and Haley. He fired his rifle twice but they escaped.

While Kathleen was on the ground, Jared aimed his rifle at her. "You stupid bitch." He got ready to shoot her but Sam and Haley entered.

"Hey!" Haley called. Jared turned around and saw them. He fired his gun but they dodged it. At the same moment, Jared's father walked in behind Sam and Haley and got hit with the bullet instead. He fell to the ground. Jared cocked the gun and turned around. Haley appeared behind him and grabbed the gun. She hit Jared in the face with it several times and he collapsed, unconscious.

Sam placed Jared in Kathleen's cage and closed the door. He walked to the control panel and locked the cage then took Haley's hand again. They made their way over to Kathleen who was standing over the father, her gun raised. "I'll watch this one. You go ahead." Sam stared at her and didn't move. "Go ahead." Sam and Haley left.

"You hurt my family. I'm gonna bleed you, bitch."

"You killed my brother," she said tearfully.

"Your brother?" He laughed cruelly. "Now I see."

"Just tell me why." He smiled.

"Because it's fun," he laughed. Kathleen looked at him, horrified, and fired the gun.

* * *

Sam, Haley, and Dean walked out the front door and down the porch steps. They met up with Kathleen, who was leaving the barn. "Where's the girl?"

"Locked her in a closet. What about the dad?" Dean asked. She paused.

"Shot. Trying to escape." All four of them exchanged a look.

* * *

Dean, Sam, Haley, and Kathleen were leaving. "I think the car's at the police station," Dean said. Kathleen was listening to a woman on her walkie-talkie as she approached the three of them.

"So, state police and FBI are gonna be here within the hour. They're gonna want to talk to you. I suggest that you're all long gone by then."

"Thanks. Hey, listen, I don't mean to press our luck, but we're kind of in the middle of nowhere. Think we could catch a ride?" Dean asked.

"Start walking. Duck if you see a squad car."

"Sounds great to me. Thanks," Sam said.

"Listen, uh...I'm sorry about your brother," Dean said.

"Thank you. It was really hard not knowing what happened to him. I thought it would be easier once I knew the truth, but it isn't really. Anyway, you should go." Sam, Haley, and Dean nodded and walked away. Kathleen watched them leave, close to tears.

* * *

Dean, Haley, and Sam were walking down the road. "Never do that again," Dean said.

"Do what?" Sam questioned.

"Go missin' like that." Sam and Haley laughed.

"You were worried about us," Haley said.

"All I'm sayin' is, you vanish like that again, I'm not lookin' for ya."

"Sure you won't," Sam said.

"I'm not." Sam laughed.

"So, you got sidelined by a thirteen-year-old girl, huh?" Haley asked.

"Oh, shut up."

"Just sayin', gettin' rusty there, kiddo," Sam said. Dean laughed.

"Shut up." Sam and Haley laughed as they continued walking.

* * *

Dean watched as Sam and Haley flirted. He rolled his eyes and took a sip of the beer he had ordered when they'd gotten to the bar. Before she'd gone to New York, he'd thought that he and Haley could have a relationship, since she'd been back, however, that had changed.

They were still close, but now she and Sam were flirting all the time and she was spending a lot of time with him. The way Sam played with Haley's hair when they'd been locked in the cage two days ago hadn't gone unnoticed by him either. He turned away from the two of them and looked around the bar before his eyes settled onto a blonde sitting at the bar. He made his way over to her, forgetting about Sam and Haley.

Haley laughed as she listened to Sam tell her about a party he had gone to at Stanford. "Is that how you met Jess?"

"Yeah. I was never really into the whole party thing until I met her." Haley smiled.

"It's never really been my thing either but I've gotten used to it. When you're friends with Nathan Scott, you kind of don't have a choice."

"So, have you seen anything that's freaked you out yet?"

"Actually being kidnapped and locked in a cage so that I could be hunted kind of freaked me out." Sam laughed and placed his hand over hers. This was the first time since Jess had died that he'd really felt like he could be with another girl.

"You'll be okay."

"Yeah, I just didn't know people did that. That's twisted."

"It is. Even with all the things Dean and I have seen, we've never seen anything like that."

"I hope we never see anything like that again."

"I'm sure we won't."

"So, where are we going next?" Sam shook his head.

"I don't know. All I do know is that we're leaving tomorrow." Haley nodded and looked up just as Dean left with the blonde he had noticed earlier.

"So, should we rent another room?"

"No, but we'll be walking back to the motel room." Haley laughed and shook her head.

"I hope they're going back to the house because if they're not, I really don't want to get back in the Impala."

"I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Thank God." Sam smiled and brushed his thumb over the top of her hand. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Did you have anywhere in mind?"

"No, I just want to get out of here. It's kind of loud." She stood up and Sam quickly joined her. He grabbed her hand and suddenly she didn't care where they went. All that mattered was that she was with Sam.


	7. What You See

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: I'm sorry for neglecting this story. I've been really busy lately but I'll try to prevent from happening again. Also, for those of you asking, Haley will end up with Dean.

You Found Me: Chapter Seven

"Hey, feel better?" Sam asked as Haley came out of the bathroom dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt.

"Yeah. I still can't figure out how I'm the one that fell in the mud when I was the furthest away." Sam smiled as he pulled her into his lap.

"It's one of those unexplainable things. Doesn't really matter." He leaned down to kiss her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. When they broke apart, she smiled and made herself comfortable in his lap.

"This is nice. I like it when it's quiet and we can spend time alone." She closed her eyes as his hand stroked her back and sighed in contentment. "Where's Dean?"

"He went out."

"Mmm, what do you want to do?" He trailed kisses down her neck and she gasped, dropping her head back against his shoulder. She turned her head and he captured her lips again. When his hand slipped under her shirt, caressing her stomach, she turned so that she was facing him and deepened the kiss. Haley pulled back, leaving just centimeters between their lips. "Sam, I can't."

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "I know, it's okay. We can watch a movie."

"I like that idea." They moved to the bed and she settled into his arms as he turned on the tv. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to kiss me again." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

* * *

Dean sat at the bar, absently peeling the label off of his beer bottle. He'd ordered it almost as soon as he'd gotten there but he hadn't really been drinking it. Instead, he'd been downing of shots of stronger alcohol like it was water. As soon as he, Haley, and Sam had checked into the motel and taken their bags into their room, he'd left, not willing to stick around.

He'd been there for the better part of three hours and he had no intentions of going back to the motel anytime soon. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see who it was. He smiled when he saw her. She had blonde hair, brown eyes, and she was beautiful. "Can I buy you a drink?" Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he'd had more than enough to drink but he didn't really care.

"How about the whole bottle?" She laughed and did as he requested. His eyes shone with wonder as he took the bottle from her. Dean tilted his head and she smiled at him.

"What?" He reached out, brushing his fingers across her cheek. Again the rational part of his brain kicked in, telling him that he'd had too much to drink and that he wasn't really seeing who he thought he was, but he ignored it. Ignored the hurt he felt and moved closer to her.

"You're beautiful."

"You want to get out of here?" He stood up, grabbing her hand and pulling her to him. She looked up at him with big brown eyes and Dean leaned down to kiss her.

"Come on, Haley." He didn't realize what he'd called her until they were halfway out of the bar but he didn't really care. She'd never told him her name and she did look like Haley. He shook his head, he didn't want to think about her now. This wasn't about her, this was about the girl that was with him and the bottle of liquor he was still holding.

* * *

Chicago, Illinois

A young woman was walking home while listening to music on her iPod. A tall, burly man bumped into her and she gave him a disgusted look as she continued to walk. Shortly after turning a corner, her iPod stopped playing and she took her headphones off. "Great."

A strong wind blew around her, scattering garbage and leaves everywhere. "Hello?" No one answered and she tried to ignore the wind as she kept walking. As she neared her apartment, she looked over her shoulder and saw the shadow of a man on the wall of a building. Frantically, she grabbed her keys and rushed to find the right one. She found the key and opened the door, then went inside and slammed it shut.

Inside her apartment, she burst through the door and locked it behind her then entered a code into the alarm system on the wall. She then left the room and went to the kitchen to get a beer after setting down her bag and keys. She then moved to the living room and listened to the messages on her answering machine.

"Hey, Meredith. It's Kristen. You have to tell me what happened last night. Call me." A beep sounded and another message began to play. While she listened to the message, the shadow began to form on the wall of the apartment. It began as a swirling cloud of smoke and morphed into the silhouette of a tall, skinny creature. The creature's shadow slowly moved toward Meredith's shadow on the wall. It stuck its long, sharp-nailed fingers through Meredith's chest and her blood splattered on the wall as her shadow fell to the ground.

* * *

A week later, Sam and Dean were talking to the landlady of the apartment that Meredith had lived in. "Thanks for letting us look around," Sam said.

"Well, the police said they were done with the police, so . . . " She and Sam moved further into the room and Dean shut the apartment door, noticing that the chain on the door was broken. He followed Sam to the living room where spots of blood covered the carpet. "You guys said you were with the alarm company?"

"That's right," Dean answered.

"Well, no offense, but your alarm's about as useful as boobs on a man." Dean and Sam exchanged a look.

"Well, that's why we're here. To see what went wrong and stop it from happening again," Dean said.

"Now, ma'am, you found the body?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah."

"Right after it happened?"

"No. A few days later. Meredith's work called. She hadn't shown up. I knocked on the door and that's when I noticed the smell."

"Any windows open? Any sign of break-in?" Dean asked.

"No, windows were locked, front door was bolted. Chain was on the door, we had to cut it just to get in."

"And the alarm was still on?" Dean questioned.

"Like I said, bang-up job your company's doing."

"Mmhmm. You see any overturned furniture, broken glass, signs of struggle?" The landlady shook her head.

"Everything was in perfect condition. Except Meredith."

"And what condition was Meredith in?" Sam asked.

"Meredith was all over the place. In pieces. The guy who killed her must have been some kind of whackjob. But I tell you, if I didn't know any better, I'd have said a wild animal did it." Dean looked at Sam.

"Ma'am do you mind if we take some time? Give this place a once over?"

"Oh, well, go right ahead. Knock yourself out." Once she was gone, Dean opened his toolbox and removed the EMF meter.

"So, a killer walks in and out of the apartment-no weapons, no prints, nothing."

"I'm telling you, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kind of gig." The EMF meter began beeping frantically.

"I think I agree with you."

"So, you talked to the cops?"

"Uh, yeah. I spoke to Amy, a, uh, charming, perky officer of the law."

"Yeah? What did you find out?"

"Well, she's a Sagittarius. She loves tequila, I mean-wow. Oh, and she's got this little tattoo . . . "

"Dean!"

"What? Yeah. Uh, nothin' we don't already know except for one thing they're keeping out of the papers."

"What?"

"Meredith's heart was missing."

"Her heart?"

"Yeah. Her heart."

"So, what do you think did it to her?"

"Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe it was a werewolf?"

"No, no werewolf. The lunar cycle's not right. Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some kind of trace. It's probably a spirit." Dean looked at the blood on the carpet and noticed something.

"See if you can find any masking tape." Dean used the masking tape to connect the pools of blood and looked at the symbol that the pieces of tape formed.

"Ever see that symbol before?" Sam asked.

"Never."

"Me neither." They exchanged a look then left the apartment.

* * *

That night, Dean was at the bar, flirting with an attractive bartender when Sam and Haley came in and looked around. Dean noticed and took one last drink then smiled at the bartender and left. "See ya."

On the other side of the room, Haley and Sam found an empty table and sat down. Sam took out John's journal and began going through it. A few minutes later, Dean sat down across from them. "I talked to the bartender."

"Did you get anything? Besides her number?" Sam asked.

"Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that." Haley looked at him and he smiled. "All right, yeah." He laughed and held up a napkin with the bartender's number on it. Haley laughed and shook her head.

"You mind doing a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?"

"Huh? Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died. So, what about the symbol, you find anything?"

"Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess."

"Well, there was a first victim, right? Before Meredith?" Haley asked.

"Right. Yeah." Sam pulled out a newspaper clipping about the first death. "His name was Ben Swardstrom. Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal. The door was locked, the alarm was on."

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" Dean asked.

"Not that I can tell. I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker and Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds," Sam answered.

"So, to recap, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number." Dean smirked and Haley laughed.

"Is that all you think about?"

"Not all the time." Sam noticed something on the other side of the room and Haley and Dean looked around.

"What?" Dean questioned. Sam got up, grabbing Haley's hand as he walked away. "Sam?" Sam continued to walk away, still holding Haley's hand. They reached another table where a young woman with short blonde hair was seated with her back to them. Sam put his hand on her shoulder and she turned around.

"Meg?"

"Sam!" Sam looked at her curiously. "Sam! Is that you? Oh, my God!" She stood up and hugged him and Sam looked at her, slightly confused. She pulled away a few seconds later and he pulled Haley in front of him, wrapping his arms around her. "What are you doing here? Who's your friend?"

"This is my girlfriend, Haley. I'm just in town, visiting friends." Meg smiled at Haley and introduced herself then looked around.

"Where are they?"

"Well, they're not here right now, but what about you, Meg? I thought you were going to California." At that point, Dean joined the three of them.

"Oh, I did. I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met, what's-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar."

"Who?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old so I'm living here for a while." Dean cleared his throat loudly but was ignored.

"You're from Chicago?"

"No, Massachusetts- Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?"

"Yeah, I know. I thought I'd never see you again." Haley tensed in his arms and he leaned down to kiss her. When he pulled away, he brought his mouth to her ear, speaking so that only she could hear what he was saying. "We'll leave soon, I promise."

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong." Sam nodded and Dean cleared his throat again. Haley laughed and Sam kissed the top of Haley's head, hiding his smile. "Dude, cover your mouth."

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg. This is my brother, Dean."

"This is Dean?" Dean smiled and Haley shook her head in amusement.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"So, you've heard of me?"

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. Nice-the way you treat your brother like luggage." Dean looked at Sam, thoroughly confused.

"Sorry?"

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do? Stop dragging him over God's green earth." Anger flashed in Haley's eyes and Sam tightened his hold on her.

"Okay, awkward. I'm gonna get a drink now," Dean said. He looked at Sam then walked over to the bar.

"Sam, I'm sorry. It's just- the way you told me he treats you . . . if it were me, I'd kill him." Haley had heard enough. She was not going to stand there and listen to some random bitch put Dean down.

"It's not you and you shouldn't talk about people you don't know. You don't know anything about Dean or Sam and you had no right to say that to Dean. I don't know what the hell Sam told you but I know that it wasn't enough for you to make a judgement like that. I'd suggest apologizing but I'm guessing you don't know how."

"Well, that was rude," Meg commented as she and Sam watched Haley join Dean at the bar.

"No, it wasn't. She was right."

"Okay, I'm just going to go." Sam nodded, something about Meg being here at the same time that he was not seeming right to him. He looked over to where Haley and Dean were talking and then back to Meg.

"I think that's a good idea."

* * *

"Who the hell was she?" Dean asked as he, Haley, and Sam walked back to the car.

"I don't really know. I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird."

"And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean. It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important. Just listen . . . "

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying? I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?"

"No, of course not. Now would you listen?" Haley smiled, sometimes it was nice to just watch Sam and Dean be brothers.

"What?" Dean questioned.

"I think there's something strange going on here, Dean."

"Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me." Haley rolled her eyes.

"Is that all you think about, Casanova?" Dean smiled and pulled Haley to him, something he didn't much since she and Sam had started dating.

"No, I just think it's kind of weird."

"I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead."

"Why do you say that?" Haley asked.

"I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?"

"I don't know, random coincidence. It happens. What do you think, Haley?"

"Sorry, my opinion doesn't count." Dean looked at her curiously then looked to Sam for an answer.

"After you left, Haley bitched Meg out and Meg left."

"That's my girl." Haley rolled her eyes and playfully punched Dean in the arm.

"You may be right but that doesn't happen to us. Look, I could be wrong. I'm just saying that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on." Dean smirked and Haley punched him again.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Sam rolled his eyes and laughed before becoming serious again.

"Do me a favor. Check and see if there's a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."

"What are you gonna do?" Dean asked.

"I'm gonna watch Meg."

"Yeah, you are," Dean laughed.

"I just want to see what's what. Better safe than sorry."

"All right, you little pervert."

"Dude."

"I'm goin', I'm goin'." He and Haley crossed the street, leaving Sam.

* * *

Back in the motel room, Dean was on the computer, researching Meg while Haley researched the symbol on hers. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Sam's number. "Hey," Sam said.

"Let me guess. You're lurkin' outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?"

"No." Sam paused then answered again, irritation clear in his voice. "Yes."

"You've got a funny way of showing your affection." Haley rolled her eyes and Dean smiled.

"Did you find anything or what?"

"Sorry, man, she checks out. There is a Mag Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo."

"What about the symbol? Any luck?"

"Haley, anything on the symbol?"

"Yeah. It's Zoroastrian. Very, very old school, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva." Dean repeated the information to Sam then handed the phone to Haley.

"What's a Daeva?" Sam questioned.

"It translates to 'demon of darkness.' Zoroastrian demons and they're savage, animalistic."

"How'd you figure that out?"

"I called John's friend, Caleb and he explained it to me."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. These Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured."

"So, someone's controlling it?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. And from what Caleb told me, it's pretty risky business too. They tend to bite the hand that feeds them."

"So, what do they look like?"

"Well, nobody knows but nobody's seen them for a couple of millennia. I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we've got a major player in town?"

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Haley hung up and noticed Dean watching her.

"No phone sex?"

"You know I'm not like that, Dean. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"Dean, you may be able to pull that off with Sam but I know better. I know that something is bothering you. Will you please talk to me?"

"There's nothing to talk about. Just drop it, Haley."

* * *

Meg stopped in front of a graffiti-covered wall and looked around before pulling open a door that seemed to be part of the wall. Once she was inside, Sam peered out from behind a building and followed her through the camouflaged door.

Inside the warehouse, Sam made his way up a flight of stairs. When he reached the door at the top, he tried to open it but found it locked. He looked around and spotted a broken down elevator gate. Seconds later, he entered the gate and began to climb the side of it. When he reached the top, he was able to look through the gate into a dimly lit room.

Sam saw Meg enter the room and walk over to a black altar that was set up in the middle of the room. Meg reached the altar and picked up a silver bowl filled with blood. She swirled her finger around in the liquid and spoke an incantation in ancient language. She then began speaking to someone that Sam couldn't hear.

"I don't think you should come. Because the brothers, they're in town with another hunter. I didn't know that. Yes, sir. Yes, I'll be here-waiting for you." Meg sat the bowl down and blew out the candles at the altar then left the room.

Once she was gone, Sam moved to the wall where there was a space he could crawl through. He pulled himself and crawled into the room. He walked to the altar and saw several human hearts along with other ancient items. In the middle of the altar, the Zoroastrian symbol was drawn in blood.

"What the hell?"

* * *

"So, Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Haley questioned.

"Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing." Sam answered.

"What's the deal with that bowl again?" Dean asked.

"She was talking into it. The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone."

"With who? The Daeva?" Haley asked.

"No, you said those things were savages. No, this was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's coming to that warehouse." Dean thought for a moment then glanced at some files on a nearby table. He sat down and looked through them.

"Holy crap."

"What?"

"What I was going to tell you earlier. I pulled a favor with my friend, Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims-we missed something the first time."

"What?" Haley asked as she and Sam came over to look at the records.

"The first victim, the old man, he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here. Look where he was born."

"Lawrence, Kansas," Sam said.

"Yeah." Dean picked up the second file. "Meredith, second victim. Turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from." Sam sat down across from Dean, clearly shocked.

"Holy crap."

"Yeah."

"I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom. That's where everything started. So, you think Meg's tied up with the demon?" He pulled Haley into this lap, needing the comfort she always seemed to provide and missed the way hurt flashed briefly in Dean's eyes.

"I think it's a definite possibility."

"I don't understand. What's the significance of Lawrence? And how do these Daeva things fit in?" Sam asked.

"Beats me. I say we trash the black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a little interrogation," Dean said.

"No, we can't. We shouldn't tip her off. We need to stake out that warehouse and see who, or what, is showing up to meet her," Haley said.

"I don't think we should do this alone," Dean said.

* * *

Dean sat on one of the beds in the motel room, leaving a message on John's voicemail and Haley sat on the other bed, checking her own messages. While they were doing that, Sam entered the room with bags full of weapons. "We think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom. So, uh, this warehouse-it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can." He and Haley hung up at the same time.

"Voicemail?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah," Dean answered. Haley gestured to the bags that Sam had brought in.

"Jesus, what did you get?" Sam laughed.

"I ransacked that trunk. Holy water, every weapon that I could think of, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions. I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything." Dean and Haley nodded and they began loading their guns silently.

"Big night," Dean said.

"Yeah. You nervous?" Sam asked.

"No. Why, are you?"

"No. No way." They were silent for a few seconds before Sam spoke again. "God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? The demon?" Haley smiled and slipped her hand into his.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"I know. I'm just saying, what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month, go back to school, be a person again."

"You wanna go back to school?" Dean asked. Haley sensed the hurt in his voice but didn't say anything. This was between Sam and Dean and she wasn't about to get in the middle of it. This had been building for four years and they needed to get it out the way now.

"Yeah, once we're done hunting the thing."

"Huh."

"Why, is there something wrong with that?"

"No. No, it's, uh, great. Good for you."

"I mean, what are you going to do when it's all over?"

"It's never going to be over. There's gonna be others. There's always going to be something to hunt."

"But there's got to be something that you want for yourself."

"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam." He walked over to the dresser.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Dean was silent for a while then turned back to Sam.

"Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"

"Because Dad was in trouble. Because you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom."

"Yes, that, but it's more than that, man." He returned to the dresser and was silent again then once more turned to Sam. "You and me and Dad-I mean, I want us . . . I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again."

"Dean, we are a family. I'd do anything for you But things will never be the way they were before." Dean looked heartbroken and when he spoke again, his voice was laced with sadness.

"Could be."

"I don't want them to be. I'm not going to live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're going to have to let me go my own way." He and Dean shared a look and he pulled Haley closer to him and that made Dean's heart break more.

* * *

At the warehouse, Sam, Haley, and Dean climbed the elevator gate and reached the top room. Meg was standing at the altar, speaking in an ancient language. Quietly, the three of them squeezed through the space between the gate and the wall. They drew their guns and moved to the other side of the room, hiding behind some crates.

"Guys." Haley, Dean, and Sam looked at each other, stunned. "Hiding's a little bit childish, don't you think?"

"Well, that didn't work out like I planned," Dean said. Meg turned around to face them.

"Why don't you come out?" Sam, Haley, and Dean came out from behind the crates. "Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship." Haley rolled her eyes but nodded, letting Sam know that it was okay to go along with it.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"So, where's your little Daeva friend?" Haley questioned.

"Around. You know, that's shotgun's not going to do much good."

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. The shotgun's not for the demon," Dean said.

"So, who is it, Meg? Who's coming? Who are you waiting for?" Sam asked.

"You." The shadow demon began to form on the wall. It knocked Sam to the ground and threw Haley and Dean into the crates. A claw-like scratch appeared on Sam's face.

* * *

Later, Sam, Haley, and Dean were tied to three separate posts. Sam came to and saw Meg sitting before him. "Hey, Sam? Don't take this the wrong way, but your friend . . . is a bitch," Haley said.

"This, the whole thing, was a trap. Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearing what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn't it?" Sam asked. Meg laughed. "And that the victims were from Lawrence?"

"It doesn't mean anything. It was just to draw you in, that's all."

"You killed those two people for nothing," Haley said.

"I've killed a lot more for a lot less."

"You trapped us. Good for you. It's Miller time," Dean said. He smiled. "But why don't you kill us already?"

"Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" Meg leaned in closer. "This trap isn't for you." Dean and Sam were puzzled. Haley thought for a second, then realized something.

"John. It's a trap for John." Dean looked at Meg and she smiled at him.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're dumber than you look. Even if Dad was in town, which he is not, he wouldn't walk into something like this. He's too good," Dean said.

"He is pretty good. I'll give you that," Meg agreed. She walked over to Dean and sat down, straddling his legs. "But you see, he has one weakness."

"What's that?" Dean questioned.

"You. He lets his guard down around his boys and their girl, lets his emotions cloud his judgement. I happen to know he is in town. And he'll come and try to save you. And then the Daevas will kill everybody-nice and slow and messy."

"Well, I've got news for you. It's going to take a lot more than some . . . shadow to kill him," Dean said.

"Oh, the Daevas are in the room here. They're invisible. Their shadows are just the only part you can see."

"Why are you doing this, Meg? What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?" Sam questioned.

"I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do. Loyalty. Love. Like the love you had for Mommy and Jess."

"Go to hell."

"Baby, I'm already there." She smiled and slid over to Sam. "Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me-changing in my apartment. Turned you on, didn't it?"

"Get a room, you two," Haley said.

"I didn't mind. I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun." She began kissing his neck.

"You want to have fun? Go ahead then. I'm a little tied up right now," Sam said. Meg smiled and continued to kiss him. A noise on Dean's side of the room made her stop. She got up and walked behind Dean's post. When she saw the knife in his hand, she took it and threw it into a corner. She swung around to the other side of the post and smiled at Dean who laughed guiltily. She then slid back over to Sam.

"Now, were you just trying to distract me while your brother cuts free?"

"No. No. That's because Haley has a knife of her own." Meg was confused until a shadow fell over them. She looked up to see Haley but before Meg could react, she found herself being thrown across the room.

"Sam, Haley, get the altar!" Dean called. Sam and Haley walked over to the altar and overturned it. Suddenly, the shadow demon appeared and grabbed Meg. She was dragged across the floor and crashed through the window, falling down to the street below. Haley grabbed her knife and cut Dean free from the ropes. The three of them then walked over to the window and saw Meg sprawled on the sidewalk, dead.

"So, I guess the Daevas didn't like being bossed around," Sam said.

"Yeah, I guess not. Hey, Sam?" Dean asked.

"Hm?"

"Next time, find a girl that's not so buckets-of-crazy, huh?" Dean smiled and walked away. Haley shook her head in mock frustration and Sam laced their fingers together as they followed Dean out of the warehouse.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said.

"So am I. I'm sorry about what Meg did."

"Not your fault." He smiled and leaned down to give her a quick kiss before they continued out of the warehouse.

* * *

Haley, Dean, and Sam were walking down were walking down the hallway of the motel, back to their room. "Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" Dean asked.

"I said it before and I'll say it again-better safe than sorry," Sam said. Dean unlocked the door and they entered the room. The first thing they saw was the outline of a man standing by the window.

"Hey!" Dean called. Haley turned on the light and the man turned around. The three of them were stunned when they saw that it was John. "Dad?"

"Hey, boys. Haley." Dean and John walked toward each other and shared a long, emotional hug. Sam watched sadly and Haley slipped her hand into his, offering silent support. John caught the action and smiled, he'd seen the kiss they shared and he was glad that Haley was helping Sam get over Jess. Dean and John pulled apart a few seconds later. "Hi, Sam."

"Hey, Dad," Sam said softly as he placed the bag full of weapons on the floor.

"Dad, it was a trap. I didn't know, I'm sorry," Dean said.

"It's all right. I thought it might have been."

"Were you there?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?"

"Yes, sir," Sam and Dean answered.

"Good. Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before."

"The demon has?" Sam asked.

"It knows I'm close. It knows I'm going to kill it. Not just exorcize it or send it back to hell-actually kill it."

"How?" Dean asked. John smiled.

"I'm working on that."

"Let us come with you. We'll help," Sam said. Dean gave him a warning look.

"No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

"Dad, you don't have to worry about us."

"Of course I do. I'm your father." John paused and Haley squeezed Sam's hand in quiet reassurance. "Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir."

"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Too long." He and John embraced, crying. A minute later they pulled apart and John turned to Haley.

"How are you doing, Haley?"

"I'm good." She smiled and stepped forward, hugging him.

"Are my sons taking care of you?" Haley smiled and nodded in response.

"Yeah, they are."

"Good, because I'd kick their asses if they weren't." Haley laughed and she and John pulled apart. The four of them looked around tearfully and suddenly the shadow demon attacked John. He was thrown into a set of cabinets and fell to the ground, the same thing happening to Haley seconds later.

"No!" Dean yelled. He and Sam were thrown to the floor as well.

Outside, Meg was watching the room. She looked at the building, holding a pendent around her neck that featured the Zoroastrian symbol.

Inside the motel room, Haley, Sam, Dean, and John were still being attacked by the shadow demon. Fresh scratches appeared on their bodies as they were thrown around the room. Sam made his way to the bag of weapons on the floor and removed a flare. "Shut your eyes! These things are shadow demons, so let's light them up!" He lit the flare and the room was instantly filled with smoke and a brilliant white light. The shadow demon vanished and the four of them tried to feel their way around the room, coughing and gasping for breath.

"Dad!" Dean called.

"Over here!" Dean made his way to John and Haley and helped them up as Sam followed them out of the room, carrying the bag of weapons.

* * *

Outside the motel, Sam, John, Haley, and Dean exited the building and walked down an alley to the car. Sam put the bag in the backseat of the car. "All right, come on. We don't have much time. As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."

"Wait, wait. Sam, wait. Dad, you can't come with us," Dean said.

"What? What are you talking about?" Sam questioned.

"You three, you're beat to hell," John said, his gaze focusing on Haley, who was leaning heavily against Dean's other side. "Especially Haley."

"We'll be all right," Dean said.

"Dean, we should stick together. We'll go after those demons . . . "

"Sam! Listen to me! We almost got Dad killed back there. Don't you understand? They're not going to stop. They're going to try again. They're going to use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's-he's stronger without us around."

"Dad, no." He put a hand on John's shoulder and Dean watched sadly. "After everything, after all the time we spent looking for you, please. I've got to be a part of this fight," Sam said.

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we're all going to have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son. Okay, you've got to let me go." All four of them were silent for a moment, close to tears. Finally, Sam patted John's shoulder once then let go. John and Dean shared a look and then John's gaze once again shifted to Haley. "You okay, baby girl?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." John nodded then turned and walked to his truck. Once there, he looked back at them one more time. "Be careful." He got in his truck and left.

"Come on," Dean said, helping Haley into the front seat as Sam got in the back. They watched John's truck turn the corner then looked at each other knowingly. Without a word, Dean started the car, backed into the street then sped down the road and around a corner.

Meg came into the street from a flight of stairs and watched them leave.

* * *

Dean carefully removed Haley's top shirt but silently cursed when he saw that blood had soaked through her tank top and stuck to her wounds when it had dried. "Hurts," she whimpered.

"I know. I'm trying to make it stop."

"Rip it." She knew it would hurt, but she really didn't care. It wouldn't be any worse than the pain that she was already feeling.

"Haley."

"I don't care if it's going to hurt. I'm already in pain. Just do it." Dean nodded and jerked the shirt up and over Haley's head, wincing when she cried out.

"I told you."

"How bad is it?" She was trying to ignore the pain, but it wasn't working that well and they both knew it.

"Not bad. The scratches are deep but not deep enough for stitches. I just need to disinfect them and put some gauze on them." She nodded and tried to relax as Dean started cleaning her wounds.

"Where's Sam?"

"He's asleep on the other bed. I can't believe you didn't wake him up when she screamed."

"I'd hit you, but everything's kind of blurry. How long have I been asleep?"

"Four and a half hours. You passed out two miles down the road, woke up once for about five minutes then went right back to sleep." He continued gently rubbing her stomach with the warm washcloth he'd brought over to the bed with the medical supplies then picked up the disinfectant.

"I passed out?"

"Yeah, you've lost some blood."

"How much?" He poured the disinfectant onto her stomach and stopped when she whimpered in pain.

"It's not serious but it could have been. You had us a little worried."

"I thought you hated me." Dean looked up, surprised by the admission.

"Why?"

"Because you've been avoiding me for the last three weeks, you barely talk to me, you won't look at me. What was I supposed to think?" He looked down again, focusing on cleaning the scratches.

"I don't hate you, Haley. We've been friends for too long."

"Then talk to me. You used to be able to talk me about anything." Dean shook his head, he wasn't going to get into this. Not now. Not ever.

"It's nothing." Haley sighed in frustration then sucked in a breath when he poured more disinfectant onto her stomach. "Sorry." Seconds later she felt a small sting and looked at Dean curiously. He smiled and held up the small of bottle of morphine he grabbed from the first-aid kit. "It should ease the pain."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He began placing gauze over the wounds and taping it down. When he finished he cleaned everything up then sat down beside her. "How are you feeling now?" She opened her eyes and blinked once, slowly.

"Sleepy." He smiled again and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Morphine's kicking in. You should sleep." She reached up for his hand but missed and he laughed, holding his hand out for her.

"Dean, will you stay with me?" Dean sighed, knowing that he shouldn't but also knowing that he could never refuse Haley anything.

"Yeah, I'll stay with you." He laid down beside her and she instantly turned into him, laying her head on his chest.

"Hey, take it easy, your stomach."

"It's fine," she murmured, her words slurring slightly. He shook his head in amusement and kissed the top of her head as they both fell asleep, Haley more easily than Dean.


	8. About Us

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Eric Kripke and Mark Schwahn.

Author's Note: This chapter is what all of you have been waiting for so review and let me know what you think.

You Found Me: Chapter Eight

Richardson, Texas- Two months ago

A group of teenagers, three boys and one girl, was walking through the forest. "Come on, man, is it much further? I'm really cold," one boy complained.

"It should be just up here," Craig answered. They walked a bit further and reached a clearing.

"Whoa!" the girl exclaimed.

"There we go," Craig said.

"How'd you find this place anyway, Thurston?" the first guy asked.

"My cousin told me about it."

"Oh, I am so not going in there," the girl said.

"Wusses."

"Well, we came all the way out here. Might as well check it out," Craig said.

"Let's just hurry this up and get back to the car, all right? It's friggin' cold out here," the first guy said. He and Craig walked toward the house while the second guy and the girl stayed behind.

"Want me to hold your hand?" He offered his hand to her and she took it as they started walking. "Are there any other parts I can hold?" She gave him a disgusted look and let go of his hand.

"Ew, shut up, you loser!" She pushed him and walked away.

"Oh, come on! What?"

The four of them entered the house and looked around. There was a pentagram drawn on the floor along with various symbols on the wall. "They say? Who's they? Where'd you hear this crap?" the first guy asked.

"I told you, my cousin," Craig answered.

"And where did she hear it?"

"I don't know. She just heard it."

"Whatever." The first guy took the flashlight from Craig. "Give me that thing." He opened the door and lead them down a flight of stairs. "Oh, look, it's the evil root cellar. You know, where Satan cans all his vegetables. Oh, get your candy-asses down here and see for yourselves. It's just a basement full of skank-filled jars in some farmhouse."

The other three came down the stairs and looked around. "I don't see anything scary, do you?" He laughed and the other stopped and stared, frightened, at something behind the first guy. His smile faded. "What? What? What is it?" He turned around and saw a young woman, hanging from the rafters. He screamed.

* * *

Present Day

Dean was driving while Haley slept in the backseat and Sam slept in the front seat. Dean picked up a plastic spoon and stuck it in Sam's mouth. When Sam didn't wake, Dean took out his cell phone and took a picture of Sam. He laughed and turned up the volume, blasting the music. Sam woke up, spitting out the spoon as he sat up.

"Ha ha, very funny," he said as he turned the volume down. Dean laughed.

"Sorry. Not a lot of scenery here in east Texas. You kind of have to make your own."

"Man, we're not kids anymore, Dean. We're not gonna start that crap up again."

"Start what up?"

"That prank stuff. It's stupid and it always escalates."

"Some of us are trying to sleep." Dean laughed as he looked back at her.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Nice hair." Haley stuck her tongue out and ran her fingers through her hair. "What's the matter, Sammy, you afraid you're going to get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?"

"All right, just remember you started it," Sam warned. Haley laughed and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Oh, bring it on, Baldy."

"Do me a favor and don't kill each other."

"I'm not making any promises," Sam said.

"Where are we anyway?" Haley asked.

"A few hours outside of Richardson. Give me the lowdown again." Sam picked up a piece of paper from the dashboard.

"All right, about a month or two ago, this group of kids goes poking around in this local haunted house."

"Haunted by what?" Dean questioned.

"Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit. Legend goes, it takes girls and strings them up in the rafters. Anyway, this group of kids saw this dead girl hanging in the cellar."

"Anybody ID the corpse?" Dean asked.

"Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there, the body was gone. So, cops are saying the kids were just yanking chains."

"Well, maybe the cops are right," Haley said.

"Maybe, but I read a couple of the kids' firsthand accounts. They seem pretty sincere."

"Where'd you read these accounts?" Dean asked. Sam hesitated before he spoke again.

"Well, I knew we were going to be passing through Texas so, uh, last night I searched some local paranormal websites." Dean rolled his eyes. "And I found one."

"What's it called?"

"Hell Hound's Lair dot com."

"Let me guess, streaming live out of Mom's basement." Sam laughed.

"Yeah, probably."

"Yeah, most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit them in the persweeter."

"Look, we let Dad take off, which was a mistake, by the way. And now, we don't know where the hell he is, so, in the meantime, we've got to find ourselves something to hunt. There's no harm checking this thing out."

"All right. So, where do we find these kids?"

"Same place you always find kids in a town like this."

* * *

After talking to three of the teenagers, Sam, Haley, and Dean went to the record store to talk to Craig. "Can I help you?" Craig asked.

"Yeah, are you Craig Thurston?" Sam asked.

"I am."

"Well, we're reporters with the _Dallas Morning News_. I'm Dean, this is Sam, and that's Haley."

"No way. Yeah, I'm a writer, too. I write for my school's lit magazine."

"Oh, good for you, Morrison," Dean said.

"We're doing an article on local hauntings and rumor has it that you might know about one," Haley said.

"You mean the Hell House?" Craig asked.

"That's the one," Dean replied.

"I didn't think there was anything to the story."

"Why don't you tell us the story?" Sam requested.

"Well, supposedly, back in the thirties, this farmer, Mordechai Murdoch, used to live in the house with his six daughters. It was during the Depression. His crops were failing. He didn't have enough money to even feed his own children. So, I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?" Haley asked.

"Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick rather than starve to death. So he attacked them. They screamed, begged for him to stop. But he just strung them up, one after another. And then, when he was all finished, he turned around and hung himself. Now, they say his spirit is trapped in the house forever, stringing up any other girl who goes inside."

"But where'd you hear all this?" Dean questioned.

"My cousin, Dana, told me. I don't know where she heard it from. You have to realize I didn't believe this for a second."

"But now you do?" Sam asked.

"I don't know what the hell to think, man. I'll tell you exactly what I told the police, okay? That girl was real, and she was dead. This was not a prank. I swear to God, I don't want to go anywhere near that house ever again, okay?" Haley, Dean, and Sam exchanged a look.

"Thanks," Dean said as they left.

* * *

After dropping Haley off at the motel, Sam and Dean went to the Hell House. "Can't say I blame the kid," Sam said as they walked toward the building.

"Yeah, so much for curb appeal." Sam laughed. Dean walked around the side of the building, holding the EMF meter and it started beeping.

"You got something?"

"Yeah. The EMF's no good."

"Why?" Dean nodded toward a nearby telephone pole.

"I think that thing still has a little juice in it. It's screwing with all the readings."

"Yeah, that'd do it."

"Yep. Come on, let's go." They entered the house and looked around. Dean noticed the symbols on the wall. "Looks like Old Man Murdoch was a bit of a tagger during his time."

"And, after his time, too. The reversed cross has been used by Satanists for centuries, but this sigil of sulfur didn't show up in San Francisco until the sixties." Dean looked at Sam strangely.

"This is exactly why you never get laid." He looked at another symbol. "Hey, what about this one? You seen this one before?" Sam walked over to Dean and took a picture of the symbol with his phone.

"No."

"I have. Somewhere." Sam ran his finger along the symbol.

"It's paint. Seems pretty fresh, too."

"I don't know, Sam. I mean, I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind, but the cops might be right about this one."

"Yeah, maybe." They heard a noise coming from another room and moved toward the door. They crashed through it and saw two computer geeks standing in front of them.

"Cut! Just a couple of humans. What are you guys doing here?"

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Dean asked.

"Uh, we belong here. We're professionals."

"Professional what?" Dean questioned.

"Paranormal investigators." One of the guys took out two business cards and handed them to Sam and Dean. "There you go. Take a look at that, boys." They read the cards.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Dean said.

"Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler. Hell Hound's Lair dot com, you guys run that website," Sam said. Ed nodded.

"Yeah."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, we're huge fans," Dean said. He moved to another area of the room.

"And, uh, we know who you guys are, too." Sam and Dean shared a nervous glance.

"Oh, yeah?" Sam questioned.

"Amateurs," Ed answered. Sam and Dean relaxed. "Looking for ghosts and cheap thrills."

"Yeah. So, if you guys don't mind, we're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here," Harry said.

"Mmhmm," Ed agreed.

"Yeah? What do you got so far?" Dean asked.

"Uh, Harry, why don't you tell them about EMF?"

"EMF?" Sam asked.

"Electromagnetic field." Harry walked over to his bag and removed an EMF meter. "Special entities can cause energy fluctuations that can be read with an EMF detector." The EMF detector started buzzing. "Whoa, whoa. That's 2.8 MG."

"2.8."

"It's hot in here."

"Huh. So, have you guys ever really seen a ghost before?" Dean asked.

"Once. We were, uh- we were investigating this old house and we saw a vase fall right off the table," Ed said.

"By itself," Harry added.

"Well, we didn't actually see it, but we heard it." Dean shook his head in shame. "And something like that, it, uh- it changes you." Sam pretended to be fascinated.

"Yeah. I think I get the picture. We should go- let them get back to work," Dean said. He walked over to Sam and smiled.

"Yeah, you should," Harry agreed.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, work," Ed said. He laughed as Sam and Dean left. "I'm sorry. That pot we smoked gave me the giggles."

* * *

Sam left the Collin County Public Library holding research and met Dean and Haley outside. "Hey."

"Hey. What do you got?" Dean asked. They started walking back to the car.

"Well, I couldn't find a Mordechai, but I did turn up a Martin Murdoch who lived in that house in the thirties. He did have children, but only two of them- both boys. And there was no record he ever killed anybody."

"Huh."

"What about you?"

"Well, those kids didn't really give a clear description of that dead girl but we did hit up the police station. No matching missing persons. It's like she never existed," Dean said. They reached the car. "Dude, come on, man. We did our digging. This one's a bust, all right? For all we know, those Hell Hound boys made up the whole thing."

"Yeah, all right," Sam reluctantly agreed.

"So, I say we find ourselves a bar and some beers and leave the legend to the locals." Dean got in the car and Haley started to but Sam grabbed her arm, shaking his head. When she looked at him curiously, he smiled and Dean started the car.

Fast-paced music blasted from the speakers and the windshield wipers started moving back and forth. Dean jumped and rushed to turn everything off. Sam and Haley got in the car, laughing. "What the-?" Sam licked his finger and drew a number in the air then pointed to himself and mouthed the word me. "That's all you got? That's weak. That is Bush-league." Haley and Sam continued to laugh as they drove away.

* * *

That night, a group of three teenagers stood outside the Hell House. "This is it. The point of no return," the guy said.

"Why do I have to go in there?" one of the girls asked.

"Because, Jill, you chose dare instead of truth. Which means you either have to go grab a jar from Mordechai's cellar and bring it back or . . . " the second girl trailed off and the guy picked up where she had left off.

"Or you can make out with me."

"I'll take the homicidal ghost, thanks," Jill said. She took the flashlight from him and entered the house.

"Would you ever take that dare?"

"Hell, no."

Jill entered the house and looked around. She heard a loud noise from another room and after making sure that no one was there, she continued to look around and made her way to the cellar.

She took a jar from one of the shelves but dropped it when she heard a noise. When she turned around, she saw Mordechai Murdoch standing in front of her. She screamed as he tied a noose around her neck and began to hang her from the rafters.

* * *

The next morning, ambulances and sheriffs surrounded the building. Jill's body was being carried out of the house in a body bag as Sam and Dean walked up to an onlooker. "What happened?" Dean asked.

"Couple of cops say that poor girl hung herself," the man answered.

"Suicide?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah. But she was a straight-A student with a full ride to UT, too. It just doesn't make sense."

"What do you think?" Sam asked.

"I think maybe we missed something."

* * *

That night, sheriffs were still guarding the house as Dean and Sam watched the building from behind some trees. "I guess the cops don't want any more kids screwin' around in there," Sam said.

"Yeah, but we still have to get in there," Dean said. He heard people whispering and turned to look at something. "I don't believe it." Sam turned around and saw Ed and Harry walking toward the house with all their equipment. "I got an idea." He stood up behind the trees. "Who ya gonna call?"

The sheriff turned toward Ed and Harry. "Hey!" Two sheriffs began chasing after them. While they were running, Sam and Dean managed to slip past them and get in the house.

As soon as they were inside the house, they pulled their weapons out. "Man, where have I seen that symbol before? It's killing me!" Dean said.

"Come on, we don't have much time." They made their down the stairs to the cellar and looked around. Dean picked up a jar from one of the shelves.

"Hey, Sam, I dare you to take a swig of this."

"What the hell would I do that for?" Dean was silent for a moment.

"I double dare you." Sam shook his head. They heard a noise from another area of the room and Dean put the jar down and got his weapons ready. They walked over to a cabinet and Sam opened it. When he did, several rats scurried onto the floor.

"Ugh, I hate rats."

"You'd rather it was a ghost?"

"Yes." They turned and saw Mordechai standing behind them with an axe. Sam quickly shot him a few times and he dissolved into a cloud of smoke.

"What the hell kind of spirit is immune to rock salt?"

"I don't know. Come on, come on, come on." Mordechai reappeared and began smashing the shelves. He tried to swing at Sam but Sam held up his rifle to stop the axe from hitting him.

"Go! Get out of here!" He and Dean managed to get away from Mordechai and run back upstairs.

* * *

Outside the house, Ed and Harry were looking around. "Maybe we should just go," Harry said.

"No. Would John Edward go? Now, we've lost the cops, let's find our center and get some work done, okay?" Harry nodded. "All right." A second later, Sam and Dean came running out of the house and Ed and Harry focused their cameras on them.

"Get that damn thing out of my face!" Dean snapped. He and Sam ran past them just as Mordechai appeared in the front doorway.

"Sweet Lord of the Rings-run!" Harry yelled. They started to run but the sheriffs stopped them. "But there's a- with an axe- where'd he go?"

"Boys, come on," the sheriff instructed.

* * *

Back in their motel room, Sam and Haley were doing more research on their computers while Dean was lying on the bed, drawing a symbol from the house on a notepad. "What the hell is this symbol? It's bugging the hell out of me. This whole damn job is bugging me. I thought the legend said that Mordechai only goes after chicks."

"He does," Sam said.

"Right. Well, then that explains why he went after you, but why me?"

"Hilarious. The legend also says he hung himself, but you see those slit wrists?"

"Yeah."

"What's up with that? And the axe, too. I mean, ghosts are usually pretty strict, right? Following the same patterns over and over?"

"But his mood keeps changing."

"That's weird," Haley commented as she checked the Hell Hound's website.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Someone added a new post into the Hell Hound's site. Listen to this. They say Mordechai Murdoch was really a Satanist who chopped up his victims with an axe before slitting his own wrists. Now he's imprisoned in the house for eternity." Dean kept studying the symbol then suddenly sat up, realizing something. "Where the hell is this going?"

"I don't know but I think I might have just figured out where it all started," Dean stated. He smiled at Sam and got off the bed.

* * *

Craig sat at the cash register in the record store looking frustrated and upset. He started to get up and walk away as Dean and Haley entered. "Hey, Craig, remember us?" Dean asked. Craig turned around.

"Guys, I'm really not in the mood to answer any more of your questions, okay?"

"Oh, don't worry, we're just here to buy an album, that's all." Craig turned away as Dean began looking through some albums and finally chose one. He and Haley walked over to Craig. "You know, I couldn't figure out what that symbol was and then I realized, it doesn't mean anything. It's a logo for Blue Oyster Cult." Craig turned to face them, looking guilty. "So, tell me, Craig, are you into BOC? Or just scaring the hell out of people?" He handed the album to Craig, who flipped it over and saw the symbol. "So, why don't you tell us about that house without lying through your ass this time." Craig sighed.

"All right. My cousin, Dana, was on break from TCU, and I guess we were just bored, looking for something to do, so I showed her this abandoned dump I found. We thought it would be funny if we made it look like it was haunted. So, we painted symbols on the walls- some from albums and some from Dana's theology text books. Then we found out this guy Murdoch used to live there so we made up some story to go along with that. So, they told people, who told other people, and then these two guys put it on their stupid website. Everything just took on a life of its own. I mean, I thought it was funny at first, but . . . now that girl's dead. It was just a joke, you know. I mean, none of it was real, we made the whole thing up, I swear."

"All right," Dean said. He and Haley started to leave and Dean leaned in closer to Haley so that Craig wouldn't hear them. "If none of it was real, then how the hell do you explain Mordechai?"

* * *

Haley and Dean entered the motel room and closed the door behind them. While Sam was in the shower, Dean took out a packet of itching powder and began to pour it on Sam's clothes.

"Dean, that's just evil," Haley said. Dean smiled and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, we're back."

"Hey. Where were you?" Sam asked as he turned off the shower.

"Oh, we went out."

"So, I think I might have a theory about what's going on."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. What if Mordechai is a tulpa?"

"A tulpa?" Sam came out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Dean jumped and hid the powder.

"Yeah, a Tibetan thought form."

"Yeah, I know what a tulpa is. Hey, why don't you get dressed? We'll go grab something to eat." Dean smiled and disappeared into the bathroom. Sam looked at Haley curiously.

"Don't look at me. He's your brother."

* * *

At the restaurant, Sam, Dean, and Haley took their coffee and went to sit down. Sam shifted uncomfortably and tried to scratch himself and Dean smirked. Haley shook her head in amusement. "Hey what's your problem?" Dean asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Sam answered as they sat down at their table.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"All right, so keep going. What about these tulpas?" Haley asked.

"Okay, so there was this incident in Tibet in 1915. A group of monks visualized a golem in their heads. They meditate on it so hard, they bring the thing to life, out of thin air."

"So?"

"That was twenty monks. Imagine what ten thousand web surfers could do. I mean, Craig starts a story about Mordechai and it spreads, goes online. Now there are countless people all believing in the bastard."

"Okay, wait a second. You're trying to tell me that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?" Dean asked as Sam shifted uncomfortably again.

"I don't know, maybe."

"People believe in Santa Claus. How come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas?" Dean asked.

"Because you're a bad person," Sam answered as he typed something into his computer. "And because of this." He turned the computer around so that Dean and Haley could see a picture of another symbol on the wall of the house. "That's a Tibetan spirit sigil on the wall of the house. Craig said they were painting symbols from a theology textbook. I bet you they painted this not even knowing what it was. Now, that sigil has been used for centuries- concentrating meditative thoughts like a magnifying glass. So, people are on the Hell Hound's website, staring at the symbol, thinking about Mordechai. I mean, I don't know. But it might be enough to bring a tulpa to life."

"It would explain why he keeps changing," Dean said.

"Right. As the legend changes, people think different things, so Mordechai himself changes, like a game of telephone. That would also explain why the rock salt didn't work," Sam said.

"Yeah, because he's not a traditional spirit, per se."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, scratching himself.

"Okay, so, uh, why don't we just get this spirit sigil thingy off the wall and off the website?"

"Well, it's not that simple. You see, once tulpas are created, they take on a life of their own."

"Great. All right, so, if he really is a thought form, how the hell are we supposed to kill an idea?" Haley asked.

"Well, it's not going to be easy with these guys helping us. Check out their homepage," Sam said. The video they had posted showed the events from the previous night at the house. "Since they posted the video, the number of hits have quadrupled in the last day alone."

"Huh. I got an idea. Come on," Dean said. Sam shut his laptop and gathered his things.

"Where are we going?"

"I have to find a copy store," Dean answered.

"Man, I think I'm allergic to our soap or something." Haley and Dean laughed as they walked away. "You did this?" Dean laughed again. "You're a friggin' jerk."

"Oh, yeah!" Sam grabbed his bag and coffee and left.

* * *

Ed and Harry were inside their trailer, working on their website. "No, no, no. No, forget it. Forget it. I'm not going back in there again," Harry said.

"Harry, look at me. Right here, okay?" Harry looked at Ed. "You are a ghost hunter, okay?"

"I know, but, Ed, I've never actually seen a real ghost before, like a real ghost. It's like an apparition!"

"This stuff right here- this is our ticket to the big time. Fame, money, sex. With girls, okay? Be brave. Okay, WWBD. What would Buffy do? Huh?"

"What would Buffy do? I don't know, but, Ed, she's stronger than me."

"It's okay." There was a loud knocking on the door of the trailer then.

"Who is it?"

"Come on out here, guys. We hear you in there," Dean called.

"It's them," Ed stated. They opened the door to reveal Sam, Dean, and Haley.

"Oh, look at that. Action figures in their original packaging. What a shocker," Haley snapped.

"Guys, we need to talk," Sam said.

"Yeah, um, sorry, guys. We're, uh, we're a little bit busy right now," Ed said.

"Okay, well, we'll make it quick. We need you to shut down your website," Dean requested. Ed laughed and turned to Harry.

"Man, you know, these guys got us busted last night. We spent the night in a holding cell."

"I had to pee in a urinal in front of people. And I get stage fright."

"Why should we trust you guys?"

"Look, guys, we all know what we saw last night, what's in the house. But now, thanks to your website, there are thousands of people hearing about Mordechai," Sam explained.

"That's right, which means people are going to keep showing up at the Hell House, running into him in person. Somebody could get hurt," Dean said.

"Yeah," Ed agreed.

"Ed, maybe he's got a point."

"No, no."

"Nope."

"Okay, we have an obligation to our fans, to the truth."

"Well, I have an obligation to kick both your little asses right now . . . " Sam cut Dean off.

"Dean, Dean, hey, hey. Forget it, all right? These guys- I could probably bitch-slap them both. I could probably even tell them that thing about Mordechai, but they're still not going to help us. So, let's just go."

"Yeah, you're right." They walked away and Ed and Harry started following them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What did you say about-? Hold on a second here," Ed said.

"Wait, wait. Yeah, what thing about Mordechai, you guys?" Harry asked.

"Don't tell them, Sam," Dean instructed.

"But, if they agree to shut down their website, Dean . . . " Sam trailed off.

"They're not going to do it. You said so yourself."

"No, wait, wait. Don't listen to him, okay? We'll do it," Ed promised. Haley, Dean, and Sam stopped walking and turned to face them. "We'll do it."

"It's a secret, Sam," Haley said.

"Look, it is a pretty big deal, all right? And it wasn't easy to dig up. So, only if we have your word that you'll shut everything down," Sam said.

"Totally," Ed agreed.

"All right," Haley conceded. Dean took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to them. "It's a death certificate from the thirties. We got it at the library. Now, according to the coroner, the actual cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

"That's right, he didn't hang or cut himself," Dean said.

"He shot himself?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, with a.45 pistol. To this day, they say he's terrified of them," Haley replied.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, they say if you shoot him with a .45, loaded with these special wrought-iron rounds, you could kill the son of a bitch," Dean explained. Ed and Harry smiled as Harry ran back to the trailer while Ed walked behind him.

* * *

Haley sighed in frustration as she shut her history book and rubbed the back of her neck. "There's nothing in this book." Sam shut his own book and stood up, moving behind her chair.

"Take a break. You're working too hard. You don't have to finish everything at once. You'll find what you're looking for." She closed her eyes as he began massaging her neck.

"Not if you keep doing that. It's distracting. A good distraction, but still a distraction." He smiled and removed his hands. "I didn't say you had to stop."

"I thought I was a distraction." Instead of continuing the massage, he knelt down beside her chair and she turned to face him. Haley tilted her head just as the door to their motel room opened.

"Guess you found a new to study." Dean turned and slammed the door behind him. Sam sighed and rested his forehead briefly against Haley's shoulder.

"You should go talk to him." Haley nodded and stood up, not sure what to expect. The last few weeks, Dean had been unreadable, snapping at them, staying out all night with girls, and not really talking to them. "Are you sure?" He nodded and brushed his lips over hers.

"He'll talk to you before me."

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Dean, leaning against the Impala, arms crossed over his chest. If it had been any other time, Haley would have taken the position as a sign of anger but right now, she could see that he was vulnerable. "I don't want to talk."

"That's too bad, because I'm not leaving until you do. What's going on with you, Dean?" He snorted angrily and she looked at him curiously.

"Go back inside, Haley. You should be with your boyfriend." Realization dawned on Haley. He was jealous, but she knew better than to say anything.

"I don't want to. I want to be out here, with you."

"I don't want you out here." It wasn't true, but if Haley was happy with Sam then didn't want to ruin that.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean looked up in surprise, he hadn't expected that.

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. You've been all over the place for the last few weeks. Please talk to me." He shook his head, still determined not to mess up her relationship.

"There's nothing to talk about, Haley."

"Yes, there is. Why does it bother you so much that I'm with Sam? It's almost like . . . " She trailed off.

"Almost like what?" Haley shook her head, she wasn't going to call him on his jealousy. He'd have to admit it himself.

"Nothing. I give up. Be as stubborn as you want. I don't care anymore." She turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist and spun her around so that she was facing him. She never had a chance to speak because he lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss. Haley immediately responded as Dean's hands settled on her waist and she threaded her arms around his neck.

They finally broke apart several minutes later only because of a desperate need for air. Haley looked up at him, her eyes glazed with want. It took both of them a couple of minutes to catch their breaths and then she was the first to speak. "Dean?" He pressed his forehead to hers.

"That's why I've been acting the way I have for the past few weeks."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to mess up your relationship with Sam." She shook her head and smiled as she brushed her lips over his.

"Aside from kissing, Sam and I never really did anything. No dates, no romantic moments, nothing. It was kind of like best friends testing out their feelings." He nodded and pulled her into another kiss. She pulled away a couple of minutes later and smiled.

"So, where are we?"

"I don't know. I've never really dated anyone before. I couldn't."

"Let's try it and see where we end up."

"Sounds good to me," he smiled, leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

Sam, Dean, and Haley were sitting in a booth at a restaurant, eating. On the wall next to them, mounted on a piece of wood, was a painted wooden fisherman, holding a fish in his hands. Dean pulled the string under the piece of wood and the fisherman began to laugh. Sam pulled the string to stop the sound. "If you pull that string one more time, I'm going to kill you." Dean pulled the string again and Sam once again stopped the laughing. Dean laughed.

"Come on, man. You need more laughter in your life, you know, you're way too tense." Sam took a sip of beer and didn't say anything. "They post it yet?" Sam turned the computer so Haley and Dean could read it. "We have learned from reputable sources that Mordechai Murdoch has a fatal fear of firearms. All right. How long do we wait?" Sam closed the laptop.

"Long enough for the new story to spread and the legend to change. I figure by nightfall, iron rounds will work on the sucker." He held up his beer bottle.

"Sweet," Dean said. He and Haley tapped their bottles against Sam's and took drinks. Sam smirked and Haley caught the look. When Dean went to put the bottle down, it was glued to his hand. Sam laughed. "You didn't." Sam held up a bottle of super glue.

"Oh, I did." Dean was shocked and Haley burst into laughter. Sam pulled the string and the wooden fisherman began to laugh.

* * *

Two sheriffs were looking around in the trees near the Hell House. "I'm telling you, I heard something coming from over there." Nearby, they could hear the laughing of the wooden fisherman from the restaurant. "See? There it is again." They looked around and finally saw the wooden carving hanging from a tree. "What is that? What the-?"

Inside the Hell House, Haley, Dean, and Sam entered with guns and flashlights and looked around. "I barely have any skin left on my palm," Dean complained.

"I'm not touching that line with a ten-foot pole," Sam said. Dean shined the flashlight in Sam's face and he grimaced. They moved into another room and saw the door that lead to the cellar.

"So, you think old Mordechai's home?" Dean asked.

"I don't know," Haley answered.

"Me neither," Ed added. Dean, Haley, and Sam turned and aimed their guns at Ed and Harry, who jumped and screamed. "Whoa, whoa! Hey!"

"What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Sam asked.

"We're just trying to get a book and movie deal, okay?" Ed asked. They heard the sound of sharpening knives coming from behind the door. "Oh, crap. Uh, guys, you want to go open that door for us?"

"Why don't you?" Dean questioned. A moment later, Mordechai burst through the door. Sam, Dean, and Haley shot him several times and he dissolved into a cloud of smoke. The three of them then left the room to look around.

"Oh, he's gone. He's gone," Ed said.

"Did you get him?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah, they got him."

"No, on camera. Did you get him on camera?"

"Uh, I . . . " Harry grabbed the camera from him. Suddenly, Mordechai appeared and destroyed the camera with his axe. Harry fell to the floor and Mordechai disappeared again. Haley, Sam, and Dean entered the room.

"Hey. Didn't you guys post that BS story we gave you?" Dean asked.

"Of course we did," Ed answered.

"Yeah, but then our server crashed," Harry added.

"So, it didn't take?" Haley questioned.

"Uh . . . " Ed trailed off.

"So, these guns don't work?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Ed replied.

"Great, Sam, Haley, any ideas?" Dean asked. Sam looked annoyed.

"We are getting out of here," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ed agreed.

"Come on, Ed." Harry grabbed Ed and they started to leave. When they reached the front door, Mordechai appeared. They screamed and ran away, stopping at another locked door. Mordechai found them and they leaned against the wall. "Mary and Joseph."

"The power of Christ compels you. The power of Christ compels you!" Sam came into the room then.

"Hey!" Mordechai turned to him. "Come and get it, you ugly son of a bitch." Mordechai swung at him but Sam ducked and the axe hit the wall. Mordechai swung again, this time pinning Sam against the wall with his axe and beginning to choke him. "Get out of here! Now!"

"Run!" Ed yelled.

"Yeah, we're out of here," Harry said. He and Ed left. In another room, Haley and Dean were pouring lighter fluid all over the floor while Sam continued to be choked.

"Dean! Haley!" Haley and Dean came into the room.

"Hey!" Dean called. Mordechai looked at him. Dean held an aerosol can over a lighter and it burst into flames. Mordechai let go of Sam who fell to the floor. "Go, go, go! Come on." He helped Sam up. "Look, if Mordechai can't leave the house and we can't kill him, we improvise." He lit the lighter and threw it on the floor and the room burst into flames. Sam, Haley, and Dean left the house. Mordechai followed them but stopped at the front door. Haley, Dean, and Sam ran behind the nearby trees.

"That's the solution? Burn the whole damn place to the ground?" Sam asked.

"Well, no one will go in anymore. I mean, look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt. It's fast and dirty, but it works," Dean said.

"What if the legend changes again and Mordechai is allowed to leave the house?" Sam asked.

"Well, then, we'll just have to come back," Haley answered. They were silent for a moment.

"Kind of makes you wonder- of all the things we've hunted, how many existed just because people believed in them." Dean looked thoughtful as they watched the house go up in flames.

* * *

Haley, Dean, and Sam were waiting outside for Ed and Harry. "Gentlemen, Haley," Ed greeted.

"Hey, guys," Sam said. They started walking together.

"Should we tell them?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you might as well, you, know they're just going to read about it in the trades."

"So, this morning, we got a phone call from a very important Hollywood producer."

"Oh, yeah? Wrong number?" Dean asked.

"No, smartass. He read all about the Hell House on our website and wants to option the motion picture rights, maybe even have us right it," Ed explained.

"And create the RPG," Harry said.

"The what?" Dean asked.

"Role-playing game," Harry answered.

"Right," Dean commented.

"It's a little lingo for you. Any who, uh, excuse us, we're off to La-La Land," Ed said.

"Well, congratulations, guys, that sounds really great," Haley said.

"Yeah, that's awesome. Best of luck to you," Dean added.

"Oh, yeah, luck- it's got nothing to do with it. It's about talent, you know? Sheer, unabashed, talent," Ed said. He gave them a peace sign. "Later." He and Harry got in their car which had their trailer attached to it. "See you around." They drove away. Haley, Dean, and Sam laughed as they started walking back to the car.

"Wow," Dean said.

"I have a confession to make," Sam said.

"What's that?" Haley asked.

"I was the one who called them and told them I was a producer." They laughed as they reached the car.

"Well, I'm the one who put the dead fish in the back seat," Dean admitted.

"Truce?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, truce. At least for the next hundred miles." Dean grinned and Sam sighed as they got in the car.

* * *

"How's your stomach?" Dean asked as he and Haley sat down on one of the beds in the motel room they were staying in for the night.

"It's better. The scratches are almost gone."

"That's good."

"Yeah. I'm just glad they didn't need stitches." She laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her.

"So, am I." He brought his free hand up and began stroking her hair. They were quiet for several minutes before Haley spoke.

"Dean?"

"Mmm?"

"Kiss me." He smiled and lowered his head, capturing her lips in a kiss that quickly turned passionate. She climbed into his lap and parted her lips, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth and familiarize itself with her taste as she did the same.

When he pulled her closer, she moaned into the kiss and pulled away, trying to catch her breath. "God, Dean."

"What? What did I do?" She laughed and placed her hand on his cheek.

"You didn't do anything. Not anything bad, anyways. I just, I . . . " Haley trailed off and Dean nodded in understanding.

"I'm not trying to push you into anything, Haley. I don't ever want you to think that."

"I don't. I just want you to know that I do want you." She smiled shyly and then looked down. Dean immediately lifted her head so that she was looking at him.

"Hey, that's not anything to be embarrassed about. Hell, who wouldn't want me?" Haley laughed and playfully punched his shoulder.

"Shut up and kiss me." He smiled and slid his hands into her hair.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Smartass," she murmured before he caught her lips in another kiss. She sighed contentedly into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, it felt so good to be in Dean's arms. Just as they lost themselves in the kiss, Sam came back with food. He stood in the doorway for a minute, watching them with a smiled.

It was about time, they figured what they really wanted. They'd been dancing around it for weeks and he knew that Dean had been jealous of seeing Haley with him, but that didn't matter. He let them have a few more minutes to themselves before shutting the door and drawing their attention to him. "Hey, I got dinner." Haley smiled and climbed out of Dean's lap.

"Good, I'm starving." Sam laughed and set the bags down on the table in their room.

"So am I," Dean said as he sat down and pulled Haley into his lap. She giggled and turned to give him a quick kiss before turning back to the food that Sam had brought.

Sam once again smiled as he watched them. It had been a while since he'd seen Dean happy and he'd never seen Dean this happy, Haley was definitely good for him. "Sam, are you going to eat or just stare at the food all night?" Sam playfully rolled his eyes. Dean was definitely himself again.

"Shut up and eat."

"Yes, sir." Haley laughed and shook her head at the brothers.

"What are you shaking your head about?" Dean asked.

"Nothing. Hey, share the nachos." Dean tickled her and she giggled as he kissed her softly.


	9. Second Chances

Disclaimer: All characters are property of Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: I know updates on all of my stories have been extremely slow, but between college, baby-sitting, and writer's block, I haven't had much time for updating. I promise I'll try to work on it.

You Found Me: Chapter Nine

Haley sighed contentedly as Dean captured her lips in another kiss. They'd been alone for the past hour and a half and they'd been caught up in a serious make-out session the entire time. When his hand slipped under her shirt she moaned and arched against him.

He pulled away and she smiled at him, her hands still running through his hair like they had been for the past twenty minutes. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No. I'll let you know when I do."

"Okay." He kissed her again and his hand moved farther up her body, cupping one of her breasts. She trailed her hands down his chest to the hem of his shirt then pulled it up. When he broke the kiss so she could take his shirt off she groaned in protest and he smiled before he once again crushed her lips beneath his.

He unbuttoned her shirt then began exploring with both hands. As his hands moved to her back and undid the clasps on her bra, she pulled back. "Dean."

"Okay, okay." She smiled and brushed her lips gently over his.

"I'm sorry." He shook his head and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to apologize or explain. I understand. I'm not going to rush you into anything you aren't ready for."

"I know this has to be hard for you."

"Haley, you mean a lot to me and we can take this relationship as fast or as slow as you want."

"That's a big sacrifice for someone who's used to getting everything they want."

"It's worth it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"We should probably go help Sam with the research."

"Way to kill the mood, sweetheart." Haley laughed and sat up even as Dean groaned in protest.

"Come on, you big baby. He's your brother and it isn't fair that we left him with all that research we really don't even know what we're looking for."

"I hate it when you have a valid point."

"No, you don't. Now get dressed."

* * *

"Did you find anything?" Dean asked as he drove.

"Not a thing," Sam answered.

"Yeah, you probably missed something, that's why."

"Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers-I couldn't find a single red flag. Are you sure you got the coordinates right?"

"Yeah, I double-checked. It's Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Look, Dad wouldn't have sent us coordinates if it wasn't important."

"I'm telling you, I looked and I found absolutely nothing. If Dad's sending us hunting for something, I don't know what."

"Well, maybe he's meeting us there."

"Yeah, because John's been so easy to find up to this point," Haley said.

"She has a point, Dean."

"You two are real smartasses, you know that? Don't worry, I'm sure there's something in Fitchburg worth killing."

"Yeah? What makes you so sure?" Sam asked.

"Well, because I'm the oldest, which means I'm always right."

"No, it doesn't," Haley laughed.

"Yeah, it totally does." He grinned as they drove past a sign welcoming them to Fitchburg.

* * *

Sam and Haley were leaning against the car, talking, as Dean came up to them with three cups of coffee. "Anything?" Haley asked as she took a cup from him.

"Well, the waitress thinks that the local freemasons are up to something sneaky, but other than that, nobody's heard about anything weird going on."

"Dean, you got the time?" Sam asked.

"Ten after four. Why?" Haley followed Sam's gaze and instantly caught onto his train of thought.

"What's wrong with this picture?" Sam asked. Dean looked where Sam and Haley were looking and he too saw the almost deserted playground.

"School's out, isn't it?"

"Yeah. So, where is everybody? This place should be crawling with kids."

"What do you say we find out? I'll go talk to her," Dean said. Haley shook her head and placed a hand on his arm, to prevent him from going.

"I don't think that's the best idea."

"Why not?"

"Dean, most of the time all you succeed in doing is getting the cops called. I think Haley should handle this one," Sam said.

"You're probably right. Go check it." Haley made her way over to the playground and sat down beside the woman.

"Is it usually this quiet?"

"No. Some of the kids are sick."

"How many?"

"Just five or six, but serious-hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it's catching."

* * *

Dean and Sam entered the hospital dressed in suits. "Dude, I am not using this ID," Sam protested.

"Why not?"

"Because it says bikini inspector." Dean laughed and pushed his brother forward.

"Don't worry, she won't look that close. Hell, she won't even ask to see it. It's all about confidence, Sam." He gave his brother another push and Sam glared at him before going to the desk.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Jerry Kaplan, Center for Disease Control."

"Can I see some ID?" the receptionist asked. Dean laughed and Sam glared at him again.

"Yeah, of course." He took his ID out of his jacket and quickly showed it to her then put it away. "Now, could you direct me to the pediatrics ward, please?"

"Okay, just go down the hall, turn left, and up the stairs." Sam smiled then turned to Dean and glared at him a third time.

"See? I told you it would work," Dean said.

"Follow me. It's upstairs." Sam and Dean were walking down the hall when they passed a room with an open door. Dean stopped and looked inside. An old woman was sitting in a wheelchair and she turned to look at Dean with cold, steely eyes. He noticed an inverted cross on her wall as she turned away from him. "Dean." Dean looked at Sam who tilted toward the end of the hallway. He nodded and followed his brother to a different hall where they found Dr. Hydecker.

"Thanks for seeing us, Dr. Hydecker," Dean said.

"Oh, I'm glad you guys are here. I was just about to call the CDC myself. How'd you find out, anyway?"

"Some GP, I forget his name, called Atlanta. He must have beat you to the punch."

"So, you say you got six cases so far?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, in five weeks." They watched a young boy who was in a coma. "At first, we thought it was a garden variety bacterial pneumonia, not that newsworthy. But now . . . "

"Now what?" Sam questioned.

"The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down. Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are wearing out."

"Excuse me, Dr. Hydecker," a nurse said.

"You ever seen anything like this before?" Sam asked.

"Never this severe." The nurse handed him a clipboard which he signed.

"The way it spreads-that's a new one for me."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"It works its way through families, but only the children-one sibling after another," she explained.

"Do you mind if we interview a few of the kids?" Dean asked.

"They're not conscious," the nurse said.

"None of them?" Sam asked.

"No."

"Can we talk to the parents?" Dean asked.

"If you it will help," Dr. Hydecker answered.

"Yeah. Who was your most recent admission?"

Sam and Dean stood in the hallway, talking to Miles Tarnower, a parent to two of the patients. "I should get back to my girls."

"We understand that and we really appreciate you talking to us. Now, you say Mary's the oldest?" Sam asked.

"Thirteen."

"Okay. And she came down with it first, right? And then . . . "

"Bethany the next night."

"Within twenty-four hours?"

"I guess. Look, I already went through all this with the doctor."

"All right, now, just a few more questions, if you don't mind. How do you think they caught pneumonia? Were they out in the cold, anything like that?" Dean asked.

"No, we think it was an open window."

"Both times?"

"The first time, I don't really remember. The second time for sure. I know I closed it before I put Bethany to bed."

"So, you think she opened it?" Sam questioned.

"It's a second story window with a ledge. No one else could have."

"All right, thank you," Dean said as he and Sam walked away.

"You know, this might not be anything supernatural. It might just be pneumonia."

"Maybe. Or maybe something opened that window. I don't know, man, look, Dad sent us down here for a reason. I think we might be barking up the right tree."

"I'll tell you one thing."

"What?"

"That guy we just talked to? I'm betting it'll be a while before he goes home." He and Dean exchanged a knowing look then left the hospital.

* * *

Haley sat on one of the beds in the motel room they had rented, talking to Brooke. "So, are you still being broadcast on the internet?"

"No, thank God. Although Lucas didn't seem to mind so I guess that's a positive."

"Brooke, are you sure he didn't mind? I mean, his girlfriend putting on a strip show that was available for download all over the world."

"Okay, maybe he was a little upset, but he's over it now." Haley laughed as she scribbled in her notebook.

"You're the only person I know who thinks like that?"

"Was that a compliment?"

"Yes, Brooke, it was. You're very unique."

"So, how are things with the Winchester brothers?"

"They're very good."

"How about you and Dean?" Haley couldn't help smiling at the thought of her boyfriend and laughed when Brooke sighed impatiently.

"I'm waiting?"

"Have you always been this impatient?"

"Yes, you know that. Now spill."

"We're dating. We have been for three weeks."

"And I'm just now hearing about it?"

"I'm sorry. This is the first time we've been in a place where my cell phone actually has decent service."

"You couldn't have used a motel phone or e-mailed me? I'm your best friend." Brooke tried to keep her voice light, but Haley picked up on the traces of hurt.

"Brooke, I really am sorry. I promise it won't ever happen again. If it makes you feel any better, I'm coming home for spring break."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. I miss all of you guys, especially Jenny. How is she?"

"She's good. She really misses you. She asks about you everyday."

"I miss her, too. I can't wait to see everyone again."

"Hey, Haley, we think we found something," Sam said as he and Dean entered the room.

"Okay. Brooke, I have to go. I'll talk to you later, I promise."

"I'm holding you to that." Haley smiled and hung up. "So, what's the plan?"

"We go check out the house of the most recent patients."

* * *

Haley, Sam, and Dean were searching Bethany's room with different equipment. "You got anything over there?" Sam asked.

"No, nothing," Dean answered.

"Same here," Haley said.

"Yeah, me neither." He went over to the window and noticed something. "Dean? Haley?"

"Yeah?" they replied in unison as Sam opened the window.

"You were right, Dean. It's not pneumonia." Haley and Dean came over to look at the window, both noticing a long, black hand print on the window ledge.

"It's rotted. What the hell leaves a hand print like that?" Haley asked. Dean stared intently at the handprint.

_In a motel room, a younger Dean was looking at photos of the same hand print. John entered the room with a rifle and a bag full of weapons. "All right. You know the drill, Dean. If anybody calls, you don't pick up. If it's me, I'll ring once and then call back. You got that?"_

"_Mmhmm. Don't answer the phone unless it rings once first."_

"_Come on, dude, look alive. This stuff's important."_

"_I know, it's just-we've gone over it, like, a million times, and you know I'm not stupid."_

"_I know you're not, but it only takes one mistake. You got that?" Dean nodded. "All right. If I'm not back Sunday night?"_

"_Call Pastor Jim."_

"_Lock the doors and windows, close the shades and most important-,"_

"_Watch out for Sammy." Dean looked over at Sam, who was watching television. "I know."_

"_All right. If something tries to bust in?"_

"_Shoot first, ask questions later." John put a hand on Dean's shoulder._

"_That's my man." He left the motel room and Dean shut the door behind him and locked it. He continued to watch Sam._

"I know why Dad sent us here. He's faced this thing before." Sam and Haley shared a look of confusion. "He wants us to finish the job."

* * *

Dean parked the car and they all three got out. "So, what the hell is a shtriga?" Sam asked.

"It's kind of like a witch, I think. I don't know much about them." He got a few things out of the trunk.

"Well, I've never heard of it and it's not in Dad's journal."

"Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin about sixteen, seventeen years ago. You were there, don't you remember?"

"No."

"Yeah, I guess he caught wind that the thing's in Fitchburg now and kicked us the coordinates."

"So, wait, this . . . "

"Shtriga."

"Right. You think it's the same one Dad hunted before?" Dean shut the trunk and the three of them walked to the motel.

"Yeah, maybe."

"But if John went after it, why is it still breathing air?" Haley asked.

"Because it got away."

"Got away?" Sam questioned, confused.

"Yeah, Sammy, it happens."

"Not very often."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, maybe Dad didn't have his Wheaties that morning."

"What else do you remember?" Haley asked.

"Nothing. I was a kid, all right?" Sam and Haley shared a concerned look as Dean went inside by himself.

* * *

Dean walked up the front desk of the motel and rang the bell. An adolescent boy came out from the back. "Can I help you?" A second later, his mom came out.

"Do me a favor, go get your brother some dinner."

"I'm helping a guest." She glared at him and went behind the desk.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

"Do you know where I can find any good restaurants around here?"

"There's a diner about a block from here and we've got a couple of pizza places and a Chinese restaurant."

"Thanks."

"No problem. You know I can actually give you a guide."

"That would be great." She turned to look through a display case and Dean looked up, noticing the older boy pouring milk for his little brother in the kitchen at the back.

_A younger Dean was pouring milk for a kindergarten age Sam. "When's Dad going to get back?" Sam asked._

"_Tomorrow," Dean answered, putting the milk carton down and picking up a pot from the stove._

"_When?" Dean began to pour Spaghetti O's into Sam's bowl._

"_I don't know. He usually comes in late though. Now, eat your dinner."_

"_I'm sick of Scabetti O's."_

"_You're the one who wanted them."_

"_I want Lucky Charms."_

"_There aren't anymore Lucky Charms."_

"_I saw the box."_

"_Okay, maybe there is, but there's only enough for one bowl and I haven't had any yet." Sam looked at him sadly and Dean gave in, taking the bowl of Spaghetti O's from Sam. He dumped the contents in the garbage then grabbed a new bowl. He took the box of Lucky Charms off the counter then slammed them onto the table. Sam looked in the box, took out the prize, and held it out to Dean._

"_Do you want the prize?"_

"Sir?" Dean came out of his thoughts and saw the woman holding out a guide.

"Thanks."

* * *

Sam sat at the table in their room, researching as Haley sat on one of the beds, doing the same and Dean lay on the second bed, watching television. "Well, you were right. It wasn't very easy to find, but you were right. A shtriga is a kind of witch. They're Albanian, but legends date them back to ancient Rome. They feed off of spiritus vitae," Haley said.

"Spir-what?" Dean asked. Haley laughed and pushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"Vitae. It's Latin. It translates to 'breath of life.' Kind of like your life force or essence."

"Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?"

"It's a thought. You know, she takes your vitality, maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone, but they prefer-,"

"Children," Dean finished.

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life forces. And get this-shtrigas are invulnerable to all weapons devised by man and God," Sam said.

"No. That's not right. She's vulnerable when she feeds."

"What?" Sam and Haley questioned together.

"If you catch her when she's eating, you can blast her with consecrated wrought irons, buckshots, or rounds. I think."

"How do you know that?" Haley asked.

"Dad told me. I remember."

"Oh. So, anything else Dad might have mentioned?"

"No. That's it." Sam and Haley stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Okay, so assuming we can kill it when it eats, we still have to find the thing first, which isn't going to be a cakewalk. Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they're not hunting," Sam said.

"What kind of human disguise?" Dean asked.

"Historically, something innocuous. It could be anything. But it's usually a feeble old woman, which may be how the whole witches as old crones legend got started," Haley said. Dean reached down and pulled a map from his bag.

"Hang on."

"What?"

"Check this out." Haley and Sam went over to look at the map. "I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now, these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center?"

"The hospital," Sam and Haley replied.

"The hospital. When we were there, I saw a patient- an old woman."

"An old person, huh?" Sam asked, a smile in his voice.

"Yeah."

"In the hospital? Wow. Better call the coast guard." He laughed and Haley punched him in the shoulder.

"Well, listen, smartass, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall." Sam's smile faded.

* * *

Haley, Sam, and Dean were walking down a hallway in the hospital, careful to stay out of sight. "Good night, Dr. Hydecker," the nurse said. They moved closer to the wall and Haley slipped her hand into Dean's.

"See you tomorrow, Betty."

"Try to get some sleep." Dr. Hydecker walked down another hallway and once he and Betty had left, Haley, Sam, and Dean continued walking. When they reached the elderly woman's room, the door was closed and Dean took out a gun. Haley and Sam looked at him, confused, and he shrugged. Haley opened the door and they entered the room, Sam also taking out his gun. The woman didn't move and Haley and Sam stayed behind her while Dean leaned in closer. They watched her intently and suddenly the woman jumped.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean jumped, scared, and hit a cabinet. Sam and Haley also jumped and Sam lowered his gun. "Who's there?" Haley turned on the light. "You trying to steal my stuff? They're always stealing around here."

"No, ma'am we're maintenance. We're sorry. We thought you were sleeping," Sam explained. Dean, still shaken, tried to calm himself.

"Oh, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open." She laughed. "And fix that crucifix, would you? I've asked four damn times already." Dean turned and saw the cross on the wall behind him. He moved it back to its upright position and he, Sam, and Haley exchanged amused but scared expressions.

* * *

The next morning, Dean parked the car and he, Haley, and Sam got out, Haley and Sam laughing hysterically.

"'I was sleeping with my peepers open'?" Sam continued to laugh.

"I almost smoked that old gal, I swear. It's not funny."

"You should have seen your face, Dean," Haley said.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side, sweetheart," he protested as he unlocked the door to the room. "You two can laugh it up all you want, but we're back to square one." Haley looked over and saw the manager's oldest son sitting alone on a bench.

"Hang on." They walked over to him and noticed that he was crying. Haley crouched beside him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"My brother's sick."

"The little guy?" Dean asked. The boy nodded.

"Pneumonia. He's in the hospital. It's my fault."

"Come on, how is it your fault?"

"I should have made sure the window was latched. He wouldn't have gotten pneumonia if the window was latched."

"Listen to me. I can promise you that this is not your fault, okay?" Dean asked.

"It's my job to look after him." Dean nodded, understanding completely. A moment later, his mom came outside, her arms full with blankets and a pillow.

"Michael." They walked up to her as she put the items in the passenger seat of her car. "I want you to turn on the "No Vacancy" sign while I'm gone. I've got Denise covering room service, so don't bother with any of the rooms."

"I'm going with you."

"Not now, Michael."

"But I have to see Asher!"

"Hey, Michael, I know how you feel, okay? I'm a big brother, too, but you have to go easy on your mom right now, okay?" Michael nodded and his mom shut the car door then dropped her purse.

"Damn it!"

"I got it," Sam said, picking it up and handing it to her.

"Thanks."

"Listen, you're in no condition to drive. Why don't you let me take you to the hospital?" Sam asked.

"No. I couldn't possibly-,"

"Dean and I can take care of Michael and Sam's right. You don't need to drive right now," Haley said. She hesitated for a moment, then handed Sam the keys.

"Thanks." She kissed Michael's forehead. "Be good."

* * *

Sam was at the library, doing research on the computer. He looked at a few more pages then picked his phone up and called Dean. "Hey."

"Hey. How's the kid?" Dean asked.

"Not good."

"Where are you?"

"At the library. Trying to find out as much as I can about the shtriga."

"Yeah? What do you got?"

"Well, bad news. I started with Fort Douglas, around the time you said Dad was there."

"And?"

"Same deal. Before that, there was Ogdenville. Before that North Haverbrook and Brockway. Every fifteen to twenty years, it hits a new town. Dean, this thing is just getting started in Fitchburg. In all these other places, it goes on for months-dozens of kids, before the shtriga finally moves on. Kids just languish in comas and then they die."

"How far back does this thing go?"

"I don't know. The earliest mention I could find was this place called Black River Falls back in the 1890's. Talk about a horror show." Sam brought up a page from an old issue of _The Fitchburg Chronicle_. The picture featured a group of doctors crowded around a patient's bed. "Whoa."

"Sam?"

"Hold on. I'm looking at a photograph right now of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid's bed. One of the doctors is Hydecker."

"And?"

"And this picture was taken in 1893."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah, absolutely."

"Sam, you have to get back to the hospital."

"I'm leaving right now."

* * *

"We should have thought of this before. A doctor's a perfect disguise. You're trusted, you can control the whole thing," Sam said.

"That son of a bitch," Dean said. "I'm surprised you didn't shoot him right there."

"Yeah, well, first of all, I'm not going to open fire in a pediatrics ward."

"It wouldn't have done any good anyway because he's bullet proof unless he's eating. You're the one who told us that," Haley said.

"Okay, I know how we're going to get it."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"This shtriga, it works through siblings, right?"

"Right."

"Well, last night . . . "

"It went after Asher," Haley finished.

"So, I'm thinking tonight, it's probably going after Michael."

"Then we have to get him out of here," Sam said.

"No. No, that would blow the whole deal."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"Dean, you can't be serious," Haley said. It didn't take Sam long to figure out what Haley had.

"You want to use the kid as bait? Are you nuts? Forget it, that's out of the question."

"It's not out of the question, it's the only way. If this thing disappears, it could be years before we get another chance."

"Michael's a kid, Dean. I'm not letting you dangle him in front of that thing like a worm on a hook," Haley said.

"Dad did not send me here to walk away."

"Send _you_ here? He didn't send you here, he sent _us_ here," Sam pointed out.

"This isn't about you, Sam!" Dean snapped. He turned away. "All right, I'm the one that screwed up. It's my fault. There's no telling how many kids have gotten hurt because of me."

"What are you saying, Dean?" Sam asked. Dean was silent and Sam sighed.

"Dean, you've been hiding something since we got here. Since when does John bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away? Talk to us. Tell us what's going on." Dean sat down and didn't speak for several moments.

"Fort Douglas, Wisconsin. It was the third night in this crap room and I was climbing the walls. I needed to get some air."

_Little Dean turned off the television and headed for the door. He took one last look at Sam who was asleep in the bedroom, then left the room and went across the street. _

_An hour later he returned to the room and froze when he saw a white light coming from the bedroom. He cautiously entered the room. The shtriga was hovering over Sam, sucking out his life force. Dean quietly grabbed the rifle by the doorway and aimed it at the shtriga. He cocked the gun and the shtriga turned to him. A second later, John entered the motel room. "Get out of the way!" He shot at the shtriga with his own gun, but it got away, escaping out the bedroom window. John rushed over to Sam, who woke up. "Sammy. Are you okay?"_

"_Dad, what's going on?"_

"_You all right?" John hugged Sam tightly as Dean entered the room. "What happened?"_

"_I-I just went out." John looked at his oldest son, horrified._

"_What?"_

"_J-just for a second. I'm sorry."_

"_I told you not to leave this room. I told you not to let him out of your sight!" John held Sam close, tearfully, as Dean watched sadly._

Haley was now sitting beside Dean and she placed her hand on his arm as she noticed the tears in his eyes. He wrapped an arm around and rested his cheek against the top of her head. "Dad just grabbed us and booked, dropped us off at Pastor Jim's three hours away. By the time we got back to Fort Douglas, the shtriga had disappeared. It was just gone. It never resurfaced until now. Dad never spoke about it again. I didn't ask. But, he, uh-he looked at me different, you know-which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order and I didn't listen. I almost got you killed, Sam."

"You were just a kid," Haley said.

"Don't, don't. Dad knew this was unfinished business for me. And he sent me here to finish it." They were all silent for a few seconds.

"Still, using Michael? I don't know, Dean. Couldn't we use on of us?" Sam asked.

"No, that won't work. It has to get close enough to feed. It'll see us. Believe me, I don't like it. But it has to be the kid." He stood up and walked away with tears in his eyes. Haley looked at Sam and he nodded, quietly leaving the room.

"Baby, it wasn't your fault."

"I shouldn't have left Sam alone."

"Look at me." He turned to look at her and she cupped his cheek with one of her hands. "You couldn't have known what would happen. You were just a kid." He turned into her touch and she smiled.

"I was supposed to protect him."

"Stop it. Dean, I hate seeing you like this. Please, don't cry." She brushed his tears away with her thumb and he smiled.

"I don't know what I would do without you."

"Shh, don't think about that," she whispered, brushing her lips over his. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." It was the first time they'd said it to each other and it wasn't like Dean to be the first to say it, but it felt right. He lowered his head to kiss her and she pulled back, laughing when he groaned in protest. "We can't. We have a little boy to save and we need Sam to help us come up with a plan."

"Where is Sammy?"

"He went out so we could have some privacy."

"So we should take advantage of that."

"Not this time. Now, come on."

"You're evil," he complained as she took his hand and led him out of their room.

* * *

Sam and Dean were at the front desk, talking to Michael who held a phone in his hand. "You're crazy! Just go away or I'm calling the cops."

"Hang on a second. Just listen to me. You have to believe me, okay? This thing came through your window and it attacked your brother. Now, I've seen it. I know what it looks like because it attacked my brother once too," Dean said. Michael put the phone down.

"This thing-is it, like . . . it has this long black robe?"

"You saw it last night, didn't you?" Dean asked.

"I thought I was having a nightmare."

"I'd give anything not to tell you this, but sometimes, nightmares are real."

"So, why are you telling me?"

"Because we need your help."

"My help?"

"We can kill it." Dean nodded toward Sam. "Me and him, it's what we do, but we can't do it without you."

"What? No!"

"Michael, listen to me. This thing hurt Asher and it's going to keep hurting kids unless we stop it, you understand me?"

* * *

"Well that went crappy. Now what?" Dean asked.

"What did you expect? You can't ask an adult to do something like that, much less a kid," Haley pointed out gently. There was a knock at the door and she answered, surprised when she saw Michael.

"If you kill it, will Asher get better?" Haley turned and glanced at Sam and Dean.

"Honestly, we don't know," she answered.

"Dean said he was a big brother." Haley smiled and turned to look at Dean.

"That's right."

"You would take care of your little brother? You'd do anything for him?" Dean looked at Sam for several seconds before he answered.

"Yeah, I would." And from him it was a heartfelt answer.

"Me, too. I'll help," Michael said.

* * *

Sam was watching a live feed from Michael's room where Dean and Haley were setting up a camera. "Now, this camera has night vision on it, so we'll be able to see clear as day. Are we good?"

"Hair to the right," Sam answered. Dean adjusted the camera so it was focused on Michael's bed. "There, there." Haley sat down on Michael's bed and Dean stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What do I do?"

"You just stay under the covers," Haley answered.

"And if it shows up?"

"Well, we'll be right in the next room. We're going to come in with guns. So, as soon as we do, you roll of this bed and you crawl under it."

"What if you shoot me?"

"We won't shoot you. We're good shots. We're not going to fire until you're clear, okay?" Haley assured. Michael nodded and she smiled. "Have you heard a gunshot before?"

"Like in the movies?" Haley and Dean shared a smile.

"It'll be a lot louder than in the movies. So, I want you to stay under the bed, cover your ears, and do not come out until we say so, you understand?" Dean asked. Michael nodded.

"Michael, are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to, it's okay. We won't be mad," Haley said.

"No, I'm okay. Just don't shoot me."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise," Haley assured him.

* * *

Haley, Sam, and Dean were watching the live feed of Michael's bedroom. "What time is it?" Dean asked.

"Three. Are you sure these iron rounds are going to work?" Sam asked.

"Consecrated iron rounds. And, yeah, it's what Dad used last time," Dean answered. Sam was silent for several minutes before he spoke.

"Hey, Dean, I'm sorry." Dean looked at him, confusion clear on his face.

"For what?" Sam sighed.

"Well, you know, I've really given you a lot of crap for always following Dad's orders, but I know why you do it."

"Oh, God, kill me now." Haley and Sam smiled as Dean noticed something on the feed. "Wait, look." They looked and saw the shtriga unlocking the window and entering the bedroom. The three of them quietly picked up their guns while in the bedroom, the shtriga stood by the bed for a moment.

"Now?" Sam asked.

"Not yet," Dean answered. The shtriga moved closer to the bed and bent down over Michael, beginning to suck out his life force. A second later, Dean, Haley, and Sam burst into the bedroom. "Hey!" The shtriga turned to them.

"Michael, down!" Haley called. Michael rolled off the bed and crawled under it as they shot at the shtriga until it fell to the ground. "Michael, you all right?"

"Yeah."

"Sit tight," Dean said. The three of them walked over to the shtriga and looked at the bullet holes in its robes. Dean looked at Sam and Haley who lowered their guns. Suddenly, the shtriga bolted upright and threw Haley and Dean into the closet across the room.

"Dean!" Sam called. Instantly the shtriga went over to Sam and pushed him to the ground, choking him. Sam tried to pick up his gun, but couldn't reach it. The shtriga lowered its head and began to suck out Sam's life force and his face began to lose its color.

"Hey!" Dean yelled. The shtriga turned and Dean shot it between the eyes. It fell to the floor again. "You okay, little brother?" Breathing heavily, Sam gave Dean a thumbs-up sign. Dean and Haley stood up with Sam and they looked at the shtriga before Dean shot it three more times and it disappeared into nothing.

"It's okay Michael you can come out now," Haley said. Michael came out from under the bed and walked over to them. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder and Michael smiled gratefully at Dean who returned the smile.

* * *

Haley, Dean, and Sam were loading the trunk when Joanna came outside. "Hey, Joanna. How's Asher doing?" Dean asked.

"Have you seen Michael?" At that moment, Michael came outside.

"Mom, Mom!"

"Hey," she smiled, hugging him.

"How's Ash?" Michael asked.

"I've got some good news. Your brother's going to be fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. No one can explain it. It's a miracle." Sam, Dean, and Haley exchanged a look. "They're keeping him over night for observation, but after that he's coming home."

"That's great," Dean said.

"How are all the other kids?" Haley asked.

"Good. Really good. A bunch of them should be checking out in a few days. Dr. Travis says the ward's going to be like a ghost town."

"Dr. Travis? What about Dr. Hydecker?" Sam asked.

"Oh, he wasn't in today. Must have been sick or something."

"Yeah. Yeah, must have," Dean agreed.

"So, did anything happen while I was gone?" Joanna asked.

"No. Same old stuff," Michael replied.

"Okay. You can go see Ash."

"Now?"

"Only if you want to." Michael smiled and looked at Dean who nodded at him knowingly. Michael ran to the car. "I better get going before he hotwires the car and drives himself." They smiled and she walked away as Dean closed the trunk.

"It's too bad," Sam commented.

"They'll be fine," Dean said.

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant Michael. He will always know there are things out there in the dark. He'll never be the same, you know?" Dean nodded. "Sometimes I wish that . . . "

"What?" Dean prompted.

"I wish I could have that innocence." Dean turned and watched Joanna and Michael drive away then turned back to Sam.

"If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could, too." He got in the car and Sam and Haley followed a moment later.

* * *

"You were really great with Michael yesterday," Haley said. She and Dean were sitting on one of the beds in the motel room they had rented and she was wrapped contentedly in his arms.

"It wasn't that hard. I could relate to him, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Still, it was nice to see a different side of you." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean what you said?" She hadn't specified what she meant, but he knew and he wasn't surprised that she had asked.

"Yes, I meant it. I love you, Haley. You mean so much to me and I can't imagine my life without you." She turned in his arms and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"I love you, too. I love you so much." She began unbuttoning his shirt and he stilled her hands.

"Haley, slow down. We don't have to do this." She smiled and he couldn't help returning it with one of his own.

"I want to. I want this. Make love to me, Dean." She tilted her head to the side and lavished kisses on his neck, causing him to groan.

"That's not fair," he protested huskily. She giggled seductively and he pulled her up so that her lips were just centimeters from his. "You know you can get anything you want when you do that."

"Yes, I do." Haley pulled back and began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing the skin that was exposed each time she undid a button. When she began placing hot, open-mouthed kiss on his chest he growled and tangled a hand in her hair.

"Okay, you win, sweetheart."

"Mmm, I like winning."

"Come here," he murmured, once again pulling her up his body and capturing her lips in a hot kiss.


	10. That's What Girls Do

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: I promised you guys more frequent updates and you'll get them. This takes place after Provenance because I wasn't really crazy about that episode. I started this story several months ago, but then I got writer's block and I've just now been inspired to start working on it again. I am so sorry that it's been a year and a half since I updated, but it's not going to happen again. So, this is my present to you guys. Thank you for being so incredibly patient. Also, since I made you wait so long if there's anything you want to see in later chapters feel free to let me know.

You Found Me: Chapter Ten

"Haley, you're back!" Brooke exclaimed, hugging her friend.

Haley laughed and returned the embrace. "I missed you too, Brooke."

"What about me?" Peyton demanded playfully.

"You, too, Pey," Haley said, holding out an arm for the other blonde.

"How long are you here for?" Brooke asked when she and Peyton finally released Haley.

"Two weeks."

"Okay, come on," Peyton said as she and Brooke looped their arms through Haley's.

"Come on where?" Haley asked laughingly.

"To the café and then Tric. So you can see everyone again."

"Uh, Brooke, I think you're forgetting something," Haley said as her friend pulled her out the door.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to invite Sam and Dean?"

Brooke smiled and turned to face the boys. "Do you guys want to come with?"

"We'll just meet you guys at Tric," Dean answered. Haley smiled and gave Dean a quick kiss before Brooke and Peyton dragged her out the door.ﾐ

"Haley!" Karen smiled and came around the counter, hugging the younger girl. "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too." When Haley stepped back, she noticed the ring on Karen's left hand and squealed excitedly. "Oh, my God! Keith proposed?"

"Yeah, about two weeks ago." Haley smiled and hugged Karen again.

"It's about damn time."

"I thought you would be happy. Lucas was, too."

When Karen released her this time, Haley turned and glared playfully at Peyton and Brooke."I can't believe you two didn't tell me. And for that matter, I can't believe Lucas didn't tell me."

"I told them not to. I wanted to tell you in person. I also wanted to ask if you would be my maid of honor."

"I would love to be your maid of honor. When's the wedding?"

"We were thinking September. Can you be here?"

"Of course I'll be here, Karen. You and Keith are like my surrogate parents. Nothing could keep me away from your wedding."

"That's good to hear." Haley turned around and smiled when she saw Keith. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, giggling when he spun her around. "Oh, I missed you, sweet girl."

"I missed you, too." He put her down and she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. Brooke and Peyton smiled and shared a look. Keith and Haley had always had a special bond and it was nice to see them together.

"Hey, we're gonna go to the store and stock up for tonight," Brooke said.

"You guys don't have to do that," Haley protested.

"Haley, you haven't seen Keith and Karen in three months. Besides, we don't mind. Meet us at my house when you're through here."

"Yeah. Thanks, Brooke."

"You're welcome."

Once Brooke and Peyton were gone, Keith looked down at Haley and she smiled up at him. "How's Dean treating you?"

"He's treating me fine. You can relax, Keith."

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure."

Karen smiled as she poured three cups of coffee. "Haley, he'll never relax. He'll always think of you as the little girl he used to play tea party with."

Haley laughed and sat down on one of the stools at the counter as they continued talking.

* * *

Later that night, Brooke, Haley, and Peyton were sitting on the floor in Brooke's living room. "How are things with you and Dean?" Brooke asked.

"They're really good. He makes me happy."

"That's good. It's nice to see you smiling again," Peyton said.

"So, have you two slept together yet?" Haley smiled shyly and took a drink of her margarita. "Oh, my God. You have."

"How was it?"

"It was nice. He was really sweet and he didn't rush things. What was it like for you guys?" As much as Haley loved being on the road with Sam and Dean, she had missed having Brooke and Peyton to talk to.

"The first time Nathan and I slept together, we were pissed at each other. One minute we were yelling at each other and the next we were ripping each other's clothes off."

Haley laughed as she picked up a handful of M&M's. "I never knew that. So, how did you two go from hating each other to thinking about getting married after you graduate?"

"I don't know. After we slept together that first time, we just started spending more and more time together and before I knew it, I was in love with him and I knew I never wanted to be with anyone else. I'm just glad Nathan feels the same way."

"Yeah, you and Nate have definitely come a long way," Brooke agreed.

"What about you, Brooke?" Peyton questioned.

"One of the guys on the basketball team freshmen year. We were at a party. Lots of liquor and really hot guys."

"You've changed a lot since then," Haley said.

"Yeah, I'm a lot happier than I was then, too."

"How are you and Luke?"

"We're good. I really love him."

"I just realized something," Peyton said.

"What's that?" Brooke asked, pouring herself another margarita.

"We're only seventeen and we've already decided who we want to spend the rest of our lives with." The three girls looked at each other before breaking into smiles.

"Now if we could just find a girl for Jake," Brooke said.

"Actually, the new girl's been asking about him," Peyton informed her best friends.

"The new girl? Rachel, right?" Haley asked. Brooke nodded in confirmation. "What do we think about her?"

"She's nice. Jake seems interested in her and Jenny really seems to like her. I haven't seen her adjust to a new person in her life so quickly since she met you," Peyton admitted.

"I'm glad Jake's finally getting back into the dating scene."

"So am I. I didn't think he'd ever start dating again. I'm glad he finally seems interested in someone again," Brooke agreed.

"So, I know where Jake and Jenny are, but where's Rachel? I didn't see her at Tric."

"She's in New York until next week," Peyton answered.

"It'll be nice to finally meet her."

"Jenny's going to be so excited when she sees you," Brooke said.

"I've missed her so much."

"She's missed you, too. It took Jake two weeks to convince her that she couldn't go with you," Peyton said. Haley laughed. It was really nice to be back in Tree Hill.

* * *

Monday morning Haley entered the motel room Sam and Dean were staying in and smiled when she saw that Sam was gone. While she wanted to talk to both of the brothers and ask how their weekend had been, she was really looking forward to spending time alone with Dean. When she heard the shower running, she quietly made her way to the bathroom and shut the door softly. She undressed quickly and stepped into the shower. "Did you miss me?"

Dean jumped and spun around to face her. "Damn. You scared the hell out of me."

She laughed and laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "Where's Sam?"

"He went to get breakfast. He's only been gone about five minutes. Why?"

She leaned up to kiss him and when she pulled back, he smiled. "I was thinking we could have a little fun."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." He leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled back at the last second, teasing him.

"You wanna play?" She nodded and he turned them around so that she was under the water. He cupped her breasts as he began kissing her neck. When his thumb brushed over her nipples, she moaned loudly and he smiled against her neck.

"That feels so good."

"It's gonna get a lot better, sweetheart." She smiled and turned her head to kiss him. As their tongues melded, she shifted against him and he groaned into the kiss.

* * *

Two hours later, Haley and Dean still weren't dressed and were engaged in a heated make-out session. Just as Dean reached for the condoms, the door to the hotel room flew open and they both turned to see who it was. When she saw Brooke, Haley grabbed the comforter and pulled it over herself and Dean. "Brooke! What the hell are you doing?"

"Sorry, I didn't think you two would still be going at it."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"We're all going to the Rivercourt and I was coming to see if you wanted to join us."

Dean brushed his thumb over one of Haley's nipples and she bit her lip to keep from moaning. "Yeah, we'll meet...you guys th-there."

"Okay."

Brooke left and Haley punched Dean in the shoulder. "Did you have to do that while she was here?"

"Sorry, but the opportunity presented itself and I had to take advantage of it." He tried to kiss her, but she pulled away, putting a finger over his lips.

"We're going to the Rivercourt. I came here to spend time with my friends, not spend the next two weeks locked in a hotel room with my boyfriend."

"Haley, come on."

She laughed and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "No. I see you everyday. I haven't seen my friends in three months. She stood up and moved toward the bathroom as he turned to watch her. I'm taking a shower and then we're going."

"Need some help?"

"No, because then we'll never leave this room. Separate showers. Now, get up. Come on."

"You're bossy."

"No, I just don't want anymore of our friends to walk in on us in bed."

* * *

Brooke shook her head in disbelief as she watched Nathan, Sam, Lucas, and Dean play basketball. "I don't see how you do it, Tutor Girl."

"Do what?" Haley questioned, looking at her friend curiously.

"Live with two guys. I mean, as hot as they are, it's has to get to you. At least occasionally."

"Come on, Hales, spill," Peyton demanded. "Give us all the details."

"If you two are so curious about this, why didn't you ask last night?"

"It didn't occur to us. Now start talking."

"Alright, alright. It does get to be a little much, especially when it's _that_ time of the month. They have no idea what it's like and it's so damn frustrating."

"So what do you do?" Brooke questioned.

"There's not much I can do. I go for a run or go swimming. Sometimes I spar with one of them."

"That's it?"

Haley laughed and took a sip from Dean's water bottle. "Brooke, we're constantly on the road and we stay in crappy motels, what do you think we're going to do?"

"Well, you do have all that tour money."

"Yeah, but if we spent it on luxury hotels and things like that then it would be gone in the blink of an eye. Besides, places like the Hilton always ask questions about your visit or your life and what are we supposed to tell them?"

"Good point."

"How did you convince them to come to Tree Hill for spring break?" Peyton asked.

Haley smiled coyly and both of her friends squealed happily.

"I never thought that Haley James would use sex as a weapon," Brooke admitted.

"What can I say? Between you and Dean, I was bound to be corrupted at some point. Why not take full advantage of it and use what my boyfriend loves most against him?" Haley questioned teasingly.

"That's my girl!"

Haley laughed and allowed Brooke to hug her. "Has anyone ever told you how crazy you are?"

"I have. Several times. She just never seems to get the point," Peyton spoke up.

Brooke stuck her tongue out causing Haley and Peyton to burst into giggles.

"Oh, no, I get the point, Pey, I just choose to ignore it."

"The secret to Brooke Davis' happiness. I'll have to try it sometime."

"Oh, please. If you weren't all moody and depressed you wouldn't have any idea what to do with yourself," Haley teased.

Peyton shrugged and laid her head on Haley's shoulder, glad to have her best friend back in Tree Hill, even if it was just for two weeks. "When you're right, you're right."

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about?" Dean asked, watching the four girls as he passed the ball to Nathan.

"If Brooke has her way, they're talking about the best malls to go to," Lucas responded.

Dean's eyes widened in horror and Sam couldn't help laughing at his brother. "Hey, you knew what you were getting into when you invited Haley on this insane road trip and now you have to deal with the consequences."

"I don't need a lecture, Sammy."

"How's Haley handling everything?" Nathan asked as he shot the ball.

"She's seen some weird shit but for the most part she's been great."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she doesn't have any hesitations about helping us and it's nice to actually have someone help with the research."

"Hey, I help," Dean protested.

"But you prefer action," Lucas finished. When Dean nodded in agreement, Lucas smiled. "Nathan and I are the same way. He's more like you and I'm more like Sam."

"Is it like some kind of cosmic rule or something that brothers have to be complete opposites?"

"I think it has more to do with personality type."

"I get enough of this psychology stuff from Sam and Haley. Can we talk about something else?"

Sam snorted as he tossed the ball to his brother. "So what should we talk about?"

* * *

Haley smiled as she listened to Dean read to Jenny. He tried to pretend like he was indifferent to her two-year-old charm but she knew better. She saw the way he melted when Jenny smiled at him or used baby talk to get what she wanted. He wasn't perfect with her but she didn't expect him to be. Just the sight of them together made her heart melt.

"Are you just going to stand there all night, gorgeous?"

She laughed softly and padded across the room to join Jenny and Dean on the couch. "I think she's really missed you," she whispered, curling into his side.

"I've missed her, too."

Jenny let out an impatient sigh and pointed to the page that Dean had been reading. "Read book, D."

He laughed and kissed the top of Haley's head before turning back to the book. "I live to serve."

Haley laughed again and wrapped an arm around Jenny as Dean began reading again. She'd had fun today, catching up with Jake and getting to know Rachel, but the moment that was unfolding right now was what she'd been looking forward to all day. She loved watching her boyfriend interact with Jenny and that was why she had stayed back, preferring to be a spectator. The family moment was nice but it was nice to see Dean's softer side every once in a while.

As he reached the last page of the book, Haley joined him in reading it. He closed the book and she smiled as she looked down at Jenny. "She's asleep. What did you two do today?"

"We went to the park and had lunch at the café then came back here a few hours ago and watched a couple of movies while we ate dinner. How was your day?"

"It was nice. Rachel seems like a really great person. But this has been the nicest part of the day."

"Yeah?"

She nodded and brushed her lips over his. "Yeah. Watching you with Jenny always makes me smile."

"You're going to make a great mom."

Haley looked at him curiously. Dean had never before mentioned wanting to be a father but if he wanted to have that conversation now she wasn't going to stop him. "You want kids?"

"One day. If we ever catch this bastard we've been chasing for the last twenty-two years I can see myself having kids with you."

"It's a nice picture."

"You don't mind waiting?"

"No. I want you, Dean, and I can wait until you're ready to start a family. I'm only seventeen. I'm not ready to be a mom and you've admitted that you aren't ready to be a dad. Besides, you mentioned it yourself not two minutes ago, the way we live isn't safe for a child."

"I kind of love you, you know that?"

"Well, that's good. I kind of love you, too."


	11. Unnatural Exposure

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark Schwahn and Eric Kripke.

Author's Note: I know it's been forever since I've updated this story and I am so sorry. I'm trying to get better and this story is at the top of my priority list, I promise. Also, you guys have waited long enough for this chapter so I cut one scene short, but the revised version will be up in a couple of days.

You Found Me: Chapter Eleven

An older man sat at a bar, writing in a journal very similar to John's, when the bartender came over to him.

"Mr. Elkins?" He didn't hear her and continued writing. "Mr. Elkins?" He finally looked up. "Would you like another?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Beth."

She smiled and walked over to another man who was also sitting at the bar.

"I thought they caught the Unabomber," the man said.

"Yeah, poor Mr. Elkins lives all alone up in the canyon. Same seat every day, going through his papers, making his little notes. He's a nice old man. He's just a nut." She set a beer down in front of him then walked back to Elkins, picking up a bottle and refilling his glass. "Here you go." He looked up curiously, seemingly able to sense something. The door opened and a group of men entered along with an attractive woman. Elkins watched them carefully as they sat down at a table and Beth began talking to them. "What'll you have?"

"Jack all around. Leave the bottle," the woman replied.

"You hungry?"

"We have dinner plans."

"Okay." Beth walked away to get the bottle of Jack. "Can I get you something else, Mr. Elkins?" She turned and saw that he had left, his drink still untouched and looked up just in time to see the bar door close.

* * *

Elkins pulled up in his driveway and got out of his truck then made his way inside, shutting the door after checking that no one was behind him. Seeming to feel someone in the room, he turned around as the woman from the bar entered.

"It's been a while. I've got to say, you look old," she commented as her eyes glinted silver.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"What do you think?" He suddenly took a knife out of his pocket and threw it at her, hitting her in the chest. "Damn" She pulled the knife from her chest, unharmed. "You can do better than that."

Elkins walked into his office and shut the door, barricading it with a bookcase. He began turning the combination lock on the safe that had been hidden by the bookcase. "Come on, come on." The safe finally opened and he took out a wooden box. He opened it, revealing a Colt revolver and five bullets. He hurriedly began loading the gun as the woman tried to break down the door. Just as he put the gun back together, two men from the bar crashed through the glass ceiling and Elkins dropped the revolver as the men pinned him to the ground.

The woman finally broke down the door and entered the room, walking over to pick up the gun so that she could examine it. "Nice gun. Wouldn't do you much good, of course. Boys?" They looked up at her. "We're eating in tonight."

* * *

As a couple made their way down the road in the car, the woman laughed, seemingly unable to help herself.

"What?" the man questioned.

"Well, I guess you showed that guy."

"What guy?"

"The guy who bet you you wouldn't buy that shirt."

"I love this shirt."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, but stopped when she saw a man lying in the street, seemingly dead. "Look out!" The man slammed on the brakes and the car came to an abrupt stop. "What happened to him?"

"Call 911," he instructed as he got out of the car and crouched down next to the man, rolling him unto his back. Suddenly, the man's eyes snapped open and he smiled as a set of fangs appeared. The man who had been in the car screamed as he was grabbed and bitten.

* * *

Dean folded the newspaper he'd been reading and placed it on the table as Sam continued researching on his computer.

"Anything?" Haley asked.

"Not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What do you got, Sammy?"

Sam simply shot his brother a glare at the use of his hated nickname before he responded. "Well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota. Here, a woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived."

"That sounds more like "that's incredible" than, uh, "Twilight Zone." Hey, you know, we could uh—we could just keep it in the east. New York, upstate. We could stop by and see Sarah again. You two seemed pretty friendly. What do you say?"

Sam laughed as he continued to look for leads. "Yeah, maybe, someday. But in the meantime, we've got a lot of work to do, Dean, and you know that."

"What else do you have?" Haley asked.

"Manning, Colorado—a local man by the name of Daniel Elkins was found mauled in his home."

"Elkins? I know that name," Dean said.

"Doesn't ring a bell. It sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first, they said it was some sort of bear attack, and now, they're finding signs of robbery."

While Sam had been talking, Dean had pulled out John's journal and started leafing through it. Now, he placed it in the middle of the table so Sam and Haley could see it. "Here. Check it out."

Haley looked to Dean when she saw a number listed for a D. Elkins. "You think it's the same Elkins?"

"It's a Colorado area code."

* * *

"Looks like the maid didn't come today," Dean commented as he, Haley, and Sam entered Daniel's house with flashlights and began looking around.

"There's salt over here. Right inside the door," Haley said.

"You mean, like, protection-against-demons salt or, uh, "Oops, I spilled the popcorn" salt?"

"It's clearly a ring. You think Elkins was a player?"

"Definitely."

"That looks a hell of a lot like Dad's," Sam pointed out as he and Haley walked over to where Dean was going through Daniel's journal.

"Yeah, except this dates back to the sixties."

"Whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one."

"Looks like he put up a hell of a fight, too," Haley commented.

As they continued to search the room, Dean found the box which had held the Colt revolver. When he bent down to get a closer look he noticed several scratches that had been carved into the wooden floor.

"You got something?"

"I don't know, just some scratches on the floor."

"Death throes, maybe?" Sam suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." Dean grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from Elkins' desk. When he finished rubbing the scratches he looked at the paper carefully. "Or a message." He handed the paper to Haley. "Look familiar?"

"Three letters, six digits. The location and combination of a post office box. It's a mail drop."

"That's just the way Dad does it."

* * *

"J.W.—you think? John Winchester?" Sam suggested from the backseat of the Impala as he watched his brother examine the envelope they'd pulled from Elkins' mailbox.

"I don't know. Should we open it?" Dean questioned. A sudden loud knocking on the window and he jumped as he turned toward the sound. "Dad?"

"Dad, what are you doing here? Are you all right?" Sam asked as John joined him in the backseat.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Look, I read the news about Daniel. I got here as fast as I could. I saw you three up at his place," John admitted.

"Why didn't you come in, Dad?"

"You know why. Because I had to make sure you weren't followed. By anyone or anything. Nice job of covering up your tracks, by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learn from the best," Dean said.

"Wait, so, you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. He was…he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting."

"You never mentioned him to us," Sam spoke up.

"We had, uh…we had a kind of falling out. I hadn't seen him in years. I should look at that letter." Dean handed the letter to him and John opened it then read it. "If you're reading this, I'm already dead. That son of a bitch."

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"He had it the whole time."

"Dad, what?" Sam prompted.

"When you searched the place, did you see a gun? An antique—a Colt revolver. Did you see it?"

"There was an old case, but it was empty," Dean replied.

"They have it."

"You mean, whatever killed Elkins?"

"We've got to pick up the trail."

"Wait. You want us to come with you?" Sam asked.

"If Elkins was telling the truth, we've got to find this gun."

"The gun? Why?"

"Because it's important, that's why."

"John, we don't even know what these things _are_ yet," Haley pointed out.

"They were what Daniel Elkins killed best—vampires."

"Vampires? I thought there was no such thing, Dad," Dean said.

"You never even mentioned them," Sam added.

"I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and a few others had wiped them out. I was wrong," John admitted.

"What do you know about them?" Haley questioned.

"Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust—that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late."

* * *

"When did you start drinking coffee?" John asked.

Haley smiled as she set the styrofoam cup down on the small table in their room. "When I was fifteen."

He returned the smile and pulled her to him in crushing hug. "Damn, it's good to see you again, baby girl. Especially since you didn't look like you could stand on your own the last time we met up."

"Yeah, well getting attacked by a pissed off shadow demon can do that to a girl."

John pressed a kiss into her hair then took several steps back so that he could look her over again. "You look a hell of a lot better. Do you have a scar?"

"No. Dean took good care of me."

"How are my sons treating you?" he questioned as they moved over to the two beds and sat down across from each other.

"I'm fine, John. Sam and Dean would die before they let anything happen to me. They know they would have to face you if something happened to me."

"They better remember that."

Haley rolled her eyes in exasperation, but at this point it was more out of habit than actual annoyance. She had accepted years ago that she would always be the daughter John Winchester had never had and that he would always be overprotective of her. Even now that she was in a serious relationship with his oldest son. "Trust me, they will."

"You know I'm never going to like that you're hunting, right?"

"I'm more than capable of protecting myself and your sons. And if I didn't think I could handle the truth about what's really out there, I would have stayed in Tree Hill. John, you don't have to worry so much. I'm safe. I trust both of your sons with my life and I feel safest when I'm with Dean. I always have and that's never going to change."

"You two always have been close. You know, Karen used to tell me that the two of you would get married one day, but I just couldn't see it. You've always been one of my children. My little girl. I just thought Dean would be the overprotective big brother. I couldn't have been more wrong."

They shared another smile and Haley touched the necklace that Dean had given her when she was fourteen. "I love him, John. I've loved him for years but I denied because it was so strong and that scared me."

"And now?"

"It doesn't scare me anymore. I'm seventeen and I know who my heart belongs to. There was never anyone else and there never will be. I've been Dean's girl from the moment we met."

"Now that's something I can't argue with."

Haley nodded in agreement before letting the mood get a little more serious. She'd seen the look in John's eyes at the post office and knew something was going on, but she hadn't wanted to say anything in front of Sam and Dean in case she was wrong about why he'd seemed even more focused on the hunt than usual. "How close are you, John?"

"Close to what?"

She shook her head. "Don't do that. I know you. I know your moods and I know that you've been damn adamant about staying away from us since you disappeared last year. There's a reason you're here and a reason you let us know. What the hell is going on?"

"Haley, I don't—"

"Now, damn it! Now is the perfect time and don't try to tell me it isn't."

John's dark eyes widened, but he didn't snap at her and tell her to back down like he would have Sam and Dean. Haley reminded him so much of Mary that it was scary at times. "I'm close. Closer than I've ever been and the son of a bitch knows it."

"They deserve to know. They deserve to kill him as much as you, if not more. You can't shut them out. Not this time. Not on this. It's too important."

"Haley—"

"You know I'm right. You know what they would say if they knew the truth."

* * *

The next afternoon John was talking to the police as Haley, Dean and Sam waited by the car.

"I don't see why we couldn't have gone over with him," Sam commented.

"Oh, don't tell me it's already starting," Dean protested.

"What's starting?"

"What do you have?" Haley asked, cutting the brothers off as John walked back over to them.

"It was them, all right. Looks like they're heading west. We're going to have to double back to get around that detour," John replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Sam questioned harshly.

"Sam—"

Dean's warning was cut off by his brother. "I just want to know we're going in the right direction."

"We are," John assured his youngest son.

"How do you know?"

John pulled something from his pocket and held it out for his sons and Haley to see. "I found this."

"It's a vampire fang," Dean said, taking the object from his father and inspecting it more closely.

"Not fangs. Teeth. The second set descends when they attack." John turned to Sam and raised an eyebrow, almost in challenge. "Any more questions? All right, let's get out of here, we're losing daylight. Hey, Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it."

As John got into his truck, Sam laughed and Dean glared at his brother as Haley shook her head and climbed into the backseat.

* * *

As Sam drove, Dean sat in the passenger seat researching their latest creature of the week and Haley sat in the back seat reading Jake's latest letter. When Dean started reading out loud, she folded the letter and put back in its envelope, listening to her boyfriend interestedly.

"Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten. Smaller packs are sent out to hunt for food. Victims are taken to the nest, where the packs keep them alive, bleeding them for days or weeks. I wonder if that's what happened to that 911 couple."

"That's probably what Dad's thinking. Of course, it would be nice if he just told us what he thinks," Sam said.

"So it _is_ starting."

"What?"

"Sam, we've been lookin' for Dad all year. Now we're not with him for more than a couple of hours and there's static already?"

"No. Look, I'm happy he's okay, alright? And I'm happy that we're all working together again."

"Good."

"It's just the way he treats us like we're children."

"Oh, God."

"He barks orders at us, Dean. He expects us to follow him without question. He keeps on us some crap need-to-know deal."

"He does that for a reason."

Haley, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help rolling her eyes. While she understood where both brothers were coming from she had been hoping that they could keep things on neutral territory until they finished the hunt. Sam and John had a lot of issues to hash out but now wasn't the time. "Guys, come on, this can wait until later. We have a job we need to focus on."

"And we will as soon as Dean explains why he always has to defend Dad. What reason, Dean? Why does he keep us out of the loop for as long as he can?" Sam questioned.

"Our job!" Dean snapped. "There's no time to argue. There's no margin for error. It's just the way the old man runs."

"Yeah, well, maybe that worked when we were kids, but not anymore, all right? Not after everything you and I have been through, Dean. I mean, are you telling me you're cool with just falling into line and letting him run the whole show?"

Dean was quiet for several moments before speaking again. "If that's what it takes."

* * *

In their nest, several vampires were drinking and enjoying themselves. The couple they had kidnapped was tied to a post and Bo walked over to them, beer bottle in hand. "Have some beer, buddy. It'll calm your nerves."

"No, thanks."

"Oh, come on. You drink enough. I can taste it in your blood."

"That's gross," Kate commented as she walked over to them.

Bo laughed as he took a drink and moved over to the woman. "How about you, babe?" He brought the bottle to her lips and tipped it back, forcing her to drink. When he pulled the bottle away, she spit the alcohol back into his face and as he got ready to backhand her, Kate called out to him.

"Bo! Wait for Luther."

A second later, Luther entered the room and Kate smiled as she launched herself at him and kissed him. After several long moments, they broke apart. "I missed you, too, baby."

"We've got presents." She grinned and brought Luther over to the couple.

He reached out, stroking the woman's face. "She looks interesting." He then turned his attention to the man. "He doesn't. Lock him up. On second thought, go ahead and treat yourselves."

Bo took the man over to a group of vampires and they attacked him as the woman screamed in protest.

"There's something else," Kate said, leading Luther over to a table where money and valuables had been placed.

"This all theirs?"

"No. It's from an old friend of yours, Daniel Elkins. I caught his scent and I thought I'd surprise you."

"Kate, what did you do?"

"I made him suffer."

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Luther—"

"There are others like him. They'll know the signs and come looking for us. We have to be careful."

"Luther, I did it for you. For what he did to your family."

"Revenge isn't worth much if you end up dead."

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry." Luther picked up the Colt revolver, examining it closely. "I thought you might like that. It looks like it was made around the time you were born."

"I've seen this before."

"Elkins died with it in his hands. He should've known better. Using a gun."

Luther shook his head at her statement. "This is no ordinary gun."

* * *

"Yeah, Dad. All right, got it." Dean hung up his phone and let his eyes connect briefly with Haley's in the rear view mirror. "Pull off at the next exit."

"Why?" Sam questioned tensely.

"Because Dad thinks we've got the vampires' trail."

"How?"

"I don't know. He didn't say." Sam stepped on the gas forcefully and sped down the road, cutting in front of John's truck and pulling over. John pulled over as well and all four of them got out of their cars. "Oh, crap. Here we go. Sam!"

"What the hell was that?" John demanded as he approached Sam.

"We need to talk," Sam responded, his voice still tense.

"About what?"

"About everything. Where are we going, Dad? What's the big deal about this gun?"

"Sammy, come on, we can Q and A after we kill all the vampires," Dean interjected.

"Your brother's right. We don't have time for this," John said.

"Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous to be together. Now, out of the blue, you need our help. Now, obviously, something big is going down and we want to know what!"

"Get back in the car."

"No."

"I said get back in the damn car."

"Yeah. And I said no."

"All right, you made your point, tough guy. Look, we're all tired. We can talk about this later. Sammy, I mean it. Come on," Dean prompted as he pushed his brother toward the car.

"This is why I left in the first place," Sam muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" John questioned harshly.

"You heard me," Sam replied, turning back to his father.

"Yeah. _You_ left. Your brother and me. Hell, even Haley. We needed you. _You _walked away, Sam, _you_ walked away."

John grabbed Sam by his shirt and Dean stepped between them. "Stop it, both of you!"

"You were the one who said "Don't come back", Dad. You're the one who closed that door, not me! You were just pissed off you couldn't control me anymore!" Sam yelled.

"That's enough!" Haley's voice cut through the tension that had settled around the four of them after Sam's statement. "This can wait until later. Right now, we need to find that nest. That's the most important thing. You two can try to kill each other later. Now, let's go." Sam angrily turned and made his way back to the Impala but John stayed where he was and Haley's eyes flashed with the temper that very rarely made an appearance. "Now, John!"

Not many people could speak to John Winchester like that and live to tell about it and Haley was one of those few. But he was so shocked by her outburst that he stood still for several more seconds before he finally turned and got back into his truck leaving Dean and Haley to share a look before they walked back over to the Impala.

* * *

While most of the vampires slept, Kate and Luther were kissing passionately. As they began to undress each other, Kate noticed the woman watching them from where she was tied up.

Luther turned and saw her as well. "You like to watch, huh? Me, too." He turned back to Kate. "Ready, baby?" They kissed then broke apart and walked over to the woman and Kate stroked her hair.

"Are you going to kill me?" the woman asked tearfully.

"I'm going to take you so high, you'll never come down," Kate responded, turning to Luther and holding out her arm. He took out a knife and cut across Kate's skin. She sucked the blood then knelt next to the woman, grabbing her face and kissing her, covering both of their mouths with blood.

When she pulled away, Luther stroked the woman's hair. "Welcome home, baby."

* * *

"You okay?" Haley asked as she settled on her knees behind Dean and began rubbing his shoulders.

"Headache," he replied, leaning into her touch.

"Sam and John."

"I know they have problems, but they could have waited until this hunt was over to go at each other."

"Where are they now?"

"Dad booked two rooms. They're across the hall. They left our room while you were in the shower."

"We'll be lucky if there's anything left of them in the morning."

"I know, but I need a break. I hate playing mediator." He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax completely as the tension he'd been feeling all day finally drained away. "That feels good."

"Did you know you were so tense?"

"Not until you started that massage. You don't have to stop anytime soon."

Haley laughed and leaned forward, kissing his cheek. Her laughter quieted, however, when he turned his head and captured her lips in a kiss. She crawled into his lap, placing her legs on either side of his as she threaded her arms around his middle and lightly massaged his back.

Dean groaned against her mouth and let his hands settle at her waist. It had been a week and a half since they'd been alone for more than ten minutes and he hadn't realized how much he had missed the intimacy of having her so close until now. Then, almost without him realizing it, the kisses turned to hot, open-mouthed exchanges. As the taste of strawberries and vanilla flooded his mouth, he groaned again, hungrily sweeping his tongue against hers and his hands trailed lazily along her sides.

And then he was falling backwards and Haley was moving with him, using their momentum to roll them onto their sides. He reluctantly broke the kiss, but kept his forehead pressed to hers as the sound of their breathing filled the room. Their eyes locked and both of them forgot about the stress of the last two days. It was just the two of them and nothing was more important in that moment.

Haley watched Dean with heavy-lidded eyes. He, John and Sam needed to sit down and talk everything out, there was no question about that but right now she wanted to take advantage of their time alone. She didn't care how they spent the time and she could tell that he didn't either. They just wanted to be together.

He reached up, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes and they shared a smile. As far as Dean was concerned, this was the perfect moment and it would always remain one of his favorites in their relationship. The way he felt, how beautiful Haley was, the way she smiled, all of it was committed to memory and he knew that no matter what, he would never forget any of it.

Then they were kissing again and Dean lost himself in what they were doing the way he always did when they had the chance to be truly alone. His hand moved from her face, slowly trailing down her body before sliding under her shirt and making contact with her skin. She arched into his touch, but he held her in place as he broke the kiss and moved down her body, placing his mouth where his hand had been.

* * *

"Son of a bitch," Dean commented from where he, Haley, John and Sam were hiding the next morning as he watched Bo make his way into the lair. "So, they're really not afraid of the sun?"

"No, direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn. The only way to kill them is beheading. And, yeah, they sleep during the day. It doesn't mean they don't wake up," John explained.

"So I guess walking right in isn't our best option."

"Actually, that's the plan."

* * *

Dean took a large knife out of his weapons case and held it out to John. "Dad, I got an extra machete if you need one."

John took a much newer one out of his trunk. "Think I'm okay. Thanks."

"Wow."

As Dean turned back to his trunk, John sighed. "So…you three really want to know about this Colt?"

Slightly surprised, the brothers and Haley stopped what they were doing and turned to John. "Yes, sir," Sam replied.

"It's just a story—a legend, really. Well, I thought it was. Never really believed it until I read Daniel's letter. Back in 1835, when Halley's Comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo, they say Samuel Colt made a gun—a special gun. He made it for a hunter. A man like us, only on horseback. They story goes that he made thirteen bullets. This hunter used the gun half a dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him. Somehow, Daniel got his hands on it. They say—they say this gun can kill anything."

"Kill anything, like, supernatural anything?" Haley asked.

"Like the demon," Sam commented, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Yeah, the demon. Ever since I picked up its trail, I've been looking for a way to destroy the thing. Find the gun…we may have it," John admitted.

The four of them shared a determined look before turning back to their weapons.

* * *

Sam and Dean snuck in through a window in the vampire's nest then closed it behind them as they looked around. Several vampires were sleeping in hammocks set up around the room. Dean tried to duck under a hammock but accidentally kicked a glass bottle and hit the hammock instead. He immediately froze, but when the vampire didn't wake up he breathed a sigh of relief.

In another area of the nest, Haley and John were looking around and found Luther and Kate asleep in their bed, the Colt in a leather case next to the bed. John cautiously started down the steps leading into the bedroom as Luther and Kate rolled over but didn't wake up.

In the other room, Sam and Dean found the woman that the vampires had kidnapped, still tied up, but asleep. As Sam began untying her ropes, they heard a noise.

"There's more," Dean whispered, walking over to a cage-like door. Through the bars he could see several more men and women tied up, asleep. He grabbed a crowbar and broke the padlock that had kept the door shut. He waited to see if the vampires woke up, but they didn't.

John finally reached the gun as Sam continued to untie the woman's ropes. When he noticed her waking up, Sam placed a finger to his lips and spoke quietly. "Hey, hey, shh, I'm here to help you." She let out a piercing scream and he jumped back and away from her as the other vampires woke up.

In the bedroom, Luther woke up and, spotting John, threw him into the wall. John picked up an empty liquor bottle and hurled it at the bedroom window. "Boys, run!"

Sam and Dean ran out of the nest, closely followed by the vampires. They finally stopped in the woods and looked around for John and Haley as the vampires retreated back to their nest.

"Dad?!" Dean called. John didn't respond and Dean forced himself to ignore the fear settling in his stomach. "Dad! Haley!"

Seconds later, John and Haley appeared, running to meet them. "They won't follow. They'll wait until tonight. Once a vampire gets your scent, it's for life," John explained.

"What the hell do we do now?" Haley questioned.

"You have to find the nearest funeral home, that's what."

* * *

John sat at a table in one of their motel rooms researching as Sam paced.

"It shouldn't be taking this long. I should go help."

"Dean's got it. So does Haley," John assured his youngest son. "Sammy…"

Sam stopped pacing and turned to face his father. "Yeah?"

"I don't think I ever told you this, but…the day you were born, you know what I did?"

"No."

John smiled slightly as the memory played out in his mind. It was something Sam needed to hear and he knew that, but after years of being so militant with his sons it was hard to switch gears so quickly. "I put a hundred bucks into a savings account for you. I did the same thing for you brother. It was a college fund and every month, I'd put in another hundred dollars, until…" John trailed off and met Sam's gaze briefly. "Anyway, my point is, Sam, that…this is never the life I wanted for you."

"Then why'd you get so mad when I left?"

"You have to understand something. After your mother passed, all I saw was evil, everywhere. And all I cared about was keeping you boys alive. I wanted you prepared—ready. So, somewhere along the line I, uh, I stopped being your father. And I—I became your drill sergeant." John looked down briefly then back up as Sam sat down across from him. "So, when you said that you wanted to go away to school, all I could think about—my only thought was that you were going to be alone…vulnerable. Sammy, it just—it never occurred to me what you wanted. I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me—we're just different." Sam laughed as tears came to his eyes. "What?"

"We're not different. Not anymore. What happened to Mom and Jess…we probably have a lot more in common than just about anyone else."

"I guess you're right, son."

Sam smiled half-heartedly. "Hey, Dad? Whatever happened to that college fund?"

"I spent it on ammo."

They both laughed as Dean and Haley came back into the room.

"Man, there's some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys."

"Did you get it?" John asked. Dean pulled a paper bag out of his pocket and opened it, pulling out a jar of blood and handing it to John. "You know what to do."

* * *

That night, Dean had opened the hood of his car and was looking inside when he heard Kate's voice behind him.

"Car trouble? Let me give you a lift. I'll take you back to my place."

"Nah, I'll pass. I usually draw the line at necrophilia."

She punched him, causing him to fall to the ground. She quickly bent down and grabbed him by the cheeks, lifting him off the ground.

"Well, I don't normally get this friendly until the second date, but…"

"You know, we could have some fun. I always like to make new friends." She lowered him then kissed him and pulled back after a few seconds.

"Sorry. I never really stay with a chick that long—definitely not eternity."

Suddenly, an arrow impaled Kate's chest and the vampire standing behind her and she let go of Dean. "Damn it." She looked up as Haley, John and Sam came out from behind the trees, holding their weapons. "Barely even stings."

"Give it time, sweetheart. That arrow is soaked in dead man's blood. It's like poison to you, isn't it?" Kate's smile faded as her eyes glazed over and she fell back into Dean's arms. "Load her up. I'll take care of the other one."

Dean carried Kate to John's truck, followed by Sam and Haley as John walked over to the other vampire who had fallen to his knees and raised his knife.

* * *

"Toss this on the fire," John instructed, handing Dean a small bag. They walked over to a small clearing where a fire was burning and Kate was tied to a nearby tree. "Saffron, skunks, cabbage and trillium. It'll block our scent and hers until we're ready."

"Stuff stinks," Dean commented.

"Well, that's the idea. Dust your clothes with the ashes and you'll stand a chance of not being detected."

"You sure they'll come after her?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Vampires mate for life. She means more to the leader than the gun. But the blood sickness is going to wear off soon so you don't have a lot of time."

"Half hour ought to do it."

"And then I want you out of the area as fast as you can."

"But—"

"John, you can't take care of them all yourself," Haley protested.

"I'll have her and the Colt," John said.

"But after—we're going to meet up, right? Use the gun _together_, right?" When John remained silent, Sam shook his head. "You're leaving again, aren't you? You still want to go after the demon alone? You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this."

"Like what?"

"You _are_ my children. Even you, baby girl. You're my daughter as much as they are my sons. I'm trying to keep all three of you safe."

"Dad, all due respect, but that's a bunch of crap."

Sam and John were surprised, but Haley hid her smile in Dean's arm. They'd talked about this last night and she was proud of him for going through with it so soon.

"Excuse me?"

"You know what Sammy and I have been hunting. Hell, you sent us on a few trips yourself. And Haley's been doing this for a while, too. You can't be that worried about keeping us safe."

"It's not the same thing, Dean."

"Then what is it? Why do you want to keep us out of the big fight?"

"This demon? It's a bad son of a bitch. I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive."

"You mean you can't be reckless."

"Look…I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece. Your mother's death—it almost killed me. I can't watch my children die, too. I won't."

"What happens if you die? Dad, what happens if you die and we could have done something about it? You know, I've been thinking. I think maybe Sammy's right about this one. I think we should do this together. We're stronger as a family, Dad. We just are. You know it."

"We're running out of time. You do your job and you get out of the area. That's an order."

* * *

Luther and several other vampires watched as Bo pulled up in his car.

"Is there any sign of those four?" Luther asked.

"No, something else," Bo replied as he and a female vampire approached the group.

"What?"

"Luther, they cut off Hank's head."

"And Kate?"

"I don't know. She wasn't there. What are we going to do?" They heard the sound of John's truck in the distance and turned to look at it. "It's just a truck on the highway."

"Kate. She's in that truck."

In the passenger seat of John's truck Kate began to wake up, but was still tired. He looked in the rearview and smiled briefly when he saw two cars following him.

* * *

Back at the vampires' nest, Bo was drinking alone when he heard a noise from another part of the room. He looked around but didn't see anything. When he turned around, however, Dean was standing beside him.

"Boo," he greeted before beheading Bo.

* * *

Out on the highway, John continued to be followed. He checked on Kate then looked back in the rearview mirror only to see that the cars were gone.

* * *

Dean walked over to the cellar where the other captives were being held. "I told you I'd come back," he said as he broke the lock on the door.

* * *

When John came around a bend in the road and saw Luther and three other vampires, he stopped the truck.

"Get out!" Luther ordered. "Who are you?"

"The name's Winchester," John replied as he got out of the truck.

"Where are your friends?"

"Cleaning out your nest."

"Where's Kate?"

"Come here, sweetheart." John pulled a rope and dragged Kate out of the truck, her hands still bound together.

"Kate, you all right?"

"Dead man's blood," she replied.

"You son of a bitch."

"We want the Colt—Elkin's gun. Trade."

"Is that what this is all about? I mean, you can't shoot us, right? We'll kill you."

"Oh, I don't need it for you. I'm saving it for something else. Put the Colt down or she goes first."

"All right, just don't hurt her." Luther took the Colt out of his pocket and put it on the ground.

"Back up." Luther took a few steps back. "Further." Luther stepped back again and John stepped forward, kneeling on the ground with Kate and putting her in reach of the gun.

"That's a nice move. You almost made it." Kate hit John with gun then threw him into the front of the truck as the gun fell to the ground. Luther walked over to John and hit him. John flew into the door of the truck and fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Suddenly one of the vampires was shot in the chest with an arrow and the others turned to see Dean, Sam and Haley running toward them as another vampire was hit with an arrow. Luther hit Haley, knocking her to the ground. He then picked her up and began choking her as Dean grabbed a knife.

"Don't! I'll break her neck. Put the blade down," Luther instructed. Dean stilled completely, holding the knife in midair as Haley desperately gasped for breath. Finally, Dean gave in and put the knife on the ground. "You people—why can't you just leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do."

"I don't think so." Luther and Haley turned to see John holding the Colt. He shot Luther in the middle of the forehead and Luther let go of Haley who ran to Dean. A trickle of blood ran down Luther's nose and everyone watched as he sank to his knees.

"Luther!" Kate called. There was a flash of light before Luther died completely and she began stalking toward John before a fellow vampire stopped her.

"Kate, don't!" The two women angrily walked back to the car and drove away.

Sam, Haley and Dean looked at John in shock and he smiled triumphantly.

* * *

Haley, Sam and Dean were packing their things when John came into the room.

"So..."

"Yes, sir?" Sam questioned.

"You ignored a direct order back there."

"Yes, sir."

"But we saved your ass," Dean spoke up.

"You're right."

"I am?"

"It scares the hell out of me. You three are all I've got. But I guess we _are_ stronger as a family. So…we go after this damn thing. Together."

The younger occupants of the room answered in unison. "Yes, sir."

Haley slipped her hand into his Dean's and settled against his side as the four of them shared a knowing look.


End file.
